'Dheephan' was the surprise winner of the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival.
The Cannes Film Festival jury headed by the Coen brothers and including Jake Gyllenhaal and Sienna Miller has awarded Jacques Audiard the Palme d'Or for his movie Dheepan. The gritty drama tells the story of refugees fleeing post-civil war Sri Lanka.
Jacques Audiard won the Palme d'Or for his gritty drama Dheepan
Elsewhere, holocaust drama Son of Saul won the Grand Prix - essentially the runner-up prize - while Vincent Lindon won Best Actor and Rooney Mara and Emmanuelle Bercot shared Best Actress.
More: Michael Caine despairs at "discotheques" at Cannes Film Festival
Audiard, who previously helmed festival favourites A Prophet and Rust and Bone, said: "To receive a prize from the Coen brothers is something pretty exceptional. I'm very touched. I'm thinking of my father."
Joel Coen said: "This isn't a jury of film critics. This is a jury of artists who are looking at the work."
More: "Thrillingly savage" Macbeth stuns Cannes Film Festival
"This may not be the director's most immediately electrifying film, but in its understated way, it's an immensely powerful work," said The Guardian's Andrew Pulver.
The Jury Award went to Greek director Yorgos Lanthimos for The Lobster, a dystopian comedy starring Colin Farrell and Rachel Weisz that had been tipped for the Palme d'Or.
In all, there were 19 films screening in-competition though numerous high profiles films including Mad Max: Fury Road and Pixar's Inside Out were not competing for prizes.
Still this year's festival is in danger of being remembered for its row over footwear, with numerous women - including an amputee - apparently turned away on the red-carpet for wearing flat shoes.
More: Amputee turned away with flat shoes at Cannes Film Festival
This film feels kind of like what you'd expect from a collision between George Clooney...
An intelligent ode to a time when Hollywood made wildly inventive movies without pressure from...
Ever since his wonderful appearance in Wes Anderson's The Grand Budapest Hotel, we've been waiting...
Steven Spielberg takes on the Cold War with a stately, sentimental thriller that gurgles along...
Eddie Mannix is a fixer who works in Hollywood where he tames celebrities and keeps...
With a true story that's almost hard to believe, this inspiring biographical drama is made...
The Coen brothers have a wry twinkle in their eyes as they take us on...
Llewyn Davis is a struggling folk musician attempting to find his place in the world...
Remade from a 1966 romp starring Michael Caine and Shirley MacLaine, this con artist action-comedy...
Harry Deane is a pretty hopeless British art curator who has suffered years of condescension...
True Grit is a 1968 Western book by author Charles Portis, Ethan & Joel Coen...