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British actor Timothy Spall has won the Best Actor award at the Cannes Film Festival for his role as the eccentric British artist in Mr Turner , directed by Mike Leigh.
Julianne Moore was named Best Actress for her performance as the crazed Hollywood dame in David Cronenberg’s Maps to the Stars .
And the bookies’ favourite, Winter Sleep – a Turkish film by director Nuri Bilge Ceylan – won the prestigious Palme d’Or.
Best Screenplay, meanwhile, was taken by Andrei Zvyaginstev for the hauntingly shot Leviathan – a tragic social drama set in contemporary Russia.
Of the 18 films competing for the Palme, Leviathan was also a favourite, with fierce competition from veteran filmmakers, such as French-Swiss director Jean Luc Godard, with Goodbye to Language , and the Belgian Dardenne brothers with working-class drama Two Days, One Night (a festival standout performance here by Marion Cotillard).
British rivals for the prize, awarded this year by a jury led by New Zealander Jane Campion, whose film The Piano won in 1993, included directors Ken Loach, with Jimmy’s Hall , an Irish period drama about political activist Jimmy Gralton, who was deported for building a dance hall, and Mr Turner , which also starred Lesley Manville. Briton Robert Pattinson, of Twilight , also featured in Maps to the Stars ; he worked with Cronenberg in his 2012 Palme challenger, Cosmopolis .
Turkish director Nuri Bilge Ceylan (L) poses with Festival President Gilles Jacob (R) after winning the Palme d'Or (EPA)
This year’s ceremony moved to Saturday from its traditional Friday slot due to the European elections, while Cannes organisers also did away with the traditional Sunday night closing screening.
Cannes 2014 in picturesShow all 57 1 /57Cannes 2014 in pictures Cannes 2014 in pictures Cannes 2014 Jane Fonda arrives on the red carpet for the Cannes Film Festival opening ceremony
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Cannes 2014 in pictures Cannes 2014 Model Irina Shayk attends 'The Search' premiere during the 67th Annual Cannes Film Festival
Cannes 2014 in pictures Cannes 2014 Quentin Tarantino dances with Uma Thurman as he arrives at Cannes
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Cannes 2014 in pictures Cannes 2014 John Travolta, US actress Uma Thurman and US director Quentin Tarantino pose as they arrive for the screening of the film 'Sils Maria'
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Cannes 2014 in pictures Cannes 2014 Model Rosie Huntington Whiteley during the festival in Cannes
Cannes 2014 in pictures Cannes 2014 Cast of the "Lost River": (L-R) Reda Kateb, Matt Smith, Ian De Caestecker, Christina Hendricks and director Ryan Gosling attend the photocall during the 67th Annual Cannes Film Festival
Cannes 2014 in pictures Cannes 2014 Director Ryan Gosling attends a photo call for "Lost River" at the 67th international film festival in Cannes
Cannes 2014 in pictures Cannes 2014 Ryan Gosling and Christina Hendricks pose during the photocall for "Lost River" at the 67th annual Cannes Film Festival in Cannes
Cannes 2014 in pictures Cannes 2014 Adriana Lima attends 'The Homesman' premiere during the 67th Annual Cannes Film Festival in Cannes
Cannes 2014 in pictures Cannes 2014 Hilary Swank poses as she arrives for the screening of 'The Homesman' at the 67th international film festival in Cannes
Cannes 2014 in pictures Cannes 2014 Freida Pinto attends 'The Homesman' premiere during the 67th Annual Cannes Film Festival in Cannes
Cannes 2014 in pictures Cannes 2014 Mel Gibson attends 'The Expendables 3' Official Cast Dinner Party at Gotha Club in Cannes
Cannes 2014 in pictures Cannes 2014 Wesley Snipes and Antonio Banderas attend 'The Expendables 3' Official Cast Dinner Party at Gotha Club in Cannes
Cannes 2014 in pictures Cannes 2014 Jennifer Lawrence attends 'The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1' photocall at the 67th Annual Cannes Film Festival in Cannes
Cannes 2014 in pictures Cannes 2014 Valentina Paloma Pinault (Salma Hayek's daughter) attends the 'Saint Laurent' premiere during the 67th Annual Cannes Film Festival in Cannes
Cannes 2014 in pictures Cannes 2014 Aymeline Valade attends the 'Saint Laurent' premiere during the 67th Annual Cannes Film Festival in Cannes
Cannes 2014 in pictures Cannes 2014 Eva Longoria poses as she arrives for the screening of the film 'Saint-Laurent' at the 67th edition of the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes
Cannes 2014 in pictures Cannes 2014 Freida Pinto poses on the red carpet as she arrives for the screening of the film 'Saint Laurent' in competition at the 67th Cannes Film Festival in Cannes
Cannes 2014 in pictures Cannes 2014 French director Lisa Azuelos (L) and French actress Julie Gayet (R) hold a sign reading '# Bring Back Our Girls' as they arrive for the screening of 'Saint Laurent' during the 67th annual Cannes Film Festival
Cannes 2014 in pictures Cannes 2014 Blake Lively attends the 'Captives' premiere during the 67th Annual Cannes Film Festival in Cannes
Cannes 2014 in pictures Cannes 2014 Hofit Golan attends the 'How To Train Your Dragon 2' premiere during the 67th Annual Cannes Film Festival in Cannes
Cannes 2014 in pictures Cannes 2014 Rosario Dawson poses as she arrives for the screening of the film 'Captives' at the 67th edition of the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes
Cannes 2014 in pictures Cannes 2014 Blake Lively (L) laughs on the red carpet with Rosario Dawson as they arrive for the screening of the film 'Captives' at the 67th edition of the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes
Cannes 2014 in pictures Cannes 2014 Blake Lively attends the Premiere of "Mr. Turner" at the 67th Annual Cannes Film Festival in Cannes
Cannes 2014 in pictures Cannes 2014 US actress Blake Lively poses as she arrives for the screening of the film "Mr. Turner" at the 67th edition of the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes
Cannes 2014 in pictures Cannes 2014 Sonia Rolland attends the "Timbuktu" premiere during the 67th Annual Cannes Film Festival in Cannes
Cannes 2014 in pictures Cannes 2014 Sonia Rolland poses as she arrives for the screening of the film "Timbuktu" at the 67th edition of the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes
Cannes 2014 in pictures Cannes 2014 Former Russian real TV contestant Elena Lenina poses as she arrives for the screening of the film "Mr. Turner" at the 67th edition of the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes
Cannes 2014 in pictures Cannes 2014 Fatoumata Diawara attends the "Timbuktu" premiere during the 67th Annual Cannes Film Festival in Cannes
Cannes 2014 in pictures Cannes 2014 Julianne Moore arrives for the screening of 'Mr Turner' during the 67th annual Cannes Film Festival
Cannes 2014 in pictures Cannes 2014 Actress Rosario Dawson kisses Mireille Enos as they attend the "Captives" photocall during the 67th Annual Cannes Film Festival in Cannes
Cannes 2014 in pictures Cannes 2014 Cate Blanchett and Adele Exarchopoulos pose onstage at the Chopard Trophy during the 67th Annual Cannes Film Festival in Cannes
Cannes 2014 in pictures Cannes 2014 French actress Alice Taglioni arrives at the Cannes opening ceremony
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Cannes 2014 in pictures Cannes 2014 Actress Frederique Bel attends the Opening ceremony
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Cannes 2014 in pictures Adele-Exarchopoulos.jpg 'Blue is the Warmest Colour' actress Adele Exarchopoulos
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Cannes 2014 in pictures Cannes 2014 Chinese actress Zhang Ziyi attends the opening ceremony
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Cannes 2014 in pictures Cannes 2014 'Amelie' Actress Audrey Tautou on the red carpet at the opening of the Cannes Film Festival
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Cannes 2014 in pictures Cannes 2014 French actress Laetitia Casta poses as she arrives for the Opening ceremony of the 67th edition of the Cannes Film Festival
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Cannes 2014 in pictures Cannes 2014 Actress Zoe Saldana attends the Opening ceremony and the 'Grace of Monaco' Premiere during the 67th Annual Cannes Film Festival
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Cannes 2014 in pictures Cannes 2014 Model Karlie Kloss poses at the Opening ceremony and the 'Grace of Monaco' Premiere during the 67th Annual Cannes Film Festival on 14 May, in Cannes, France.
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Cannes 2014 in pictures Cannes 2014 'Grace of Monaco' cast and crew: (from left to right) Paz Vega, Nicole Kidman, Tim Roth, director Olivier Dahan, Jeanne Balibar, Pierre Ange Le Pogam and Geraldine Somerville
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Cannes 2014 in pictures Cannes 2014 Elena Lenina attends the Opening Ceremony
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Cannes 2014 in pictures Cannes 2014 US actress Blake Lively poses as she arrives for the Opening ceremony of the 67th edition of the Cannes Film Festival
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Cannes 2014 in pictures Cannes 2014 US model Karlie Kloss poses as she arrives for the Opening ceremony of the 67th edition of the Cannes Film Festival
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Cannes 2014 in pictures Cannes 2014 French actress and member of the Un Certain Regard Jury Geraldine Pailhas poses as she arrives for the Opening ceremony of the 67th edition of the Cannes Film Festival
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Cannes 2014 in pictures Cannes 2014 Model and TV personality Kendal Jenner at the Opening ceremony of the Cannes Film Festival on 14 May, 2014 in Cannes, France.
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Cannes 2014 in pictures Cannes 2014 (Left to right) Jury members, US director Sofia Coppola, Iranian actress Leila Hatami, French actress Carole Bouquet, Danish director Nicolas Winding Refn, Mexican actor Gael Garcia Bernal, New Zealand director Jane Campion, Korean actress Jeon Do-yeon, Chinese director Jia Zhangke and US actor Willem Dafoe arrive for the screening of 'Grace of Monaco' and the Opening Ceremony of the 67th annual Cannes Film Festival.
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Cannes 2014 in pictures Cannes 2014 US actress Jane Fonda poses as she arrives for the Opening ceremony of the 67th edition of the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes
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Cannes 2014 in pictures Cannes 2014 Jury member Masami Nagasawa attends the welcome Cocktail party for jury members
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Cannes 2014 in pictures Cannes 2014 Jury member Gael Garcia Bernal attends the welcome Cocktail party for jury members
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Cannes 2014 in pictures Cannes 2014 Nicole Kidman dances with French actor and Master of Ceremony Lambert Wilson during the Opening Ceremony of the 67th edition of the Cannes Film Festival
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Cannes 2014 in pictures Cannes 2014 Jury members Leila Hatami and Nicolas Winding Refn
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Cannes 2014 in pictures Cannes 2014 Director Alfonso Cuaron attends the Opening ceremony
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Cannes 2014 in pictures Cannes 2014 Actress Nicole Kidman on the red carpet at the opening of the Cannes Film Festival
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Cannes 2014 in pictures Cannes 2014 Photographers line up to photograph the Grace of Monaco cast on the red carpet
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Cannes 2014 in pictures Cannes 2014 Spanish actress Paz Vega attends a preview of 'Grace of Monaco'
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Cannes 2014 in pictures Cannes 2014 Jury member Sofia Coppola
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Separately, Daisy Jacobs, 26, of Portsmouth, saw her film The Bigger Picture screened, after coming third in the Cinéfondation student competition.
Also celebrating his festival debut was British editor-turned-director Andrew Hulme. His gritty East End drama Snow in Paradise , a real-life story of a petty criminal who turns to Islam, was a surprise Palme nominee. Snubbed by the National Lottery and the BFI, Hulme turned to crowd-funding platform Kickstarter and European investors to bring his film to cinema screens.
Ben Roberts, BFI Fund director, was delighted with the British showing. “Hearty felicitations to Timothy Spall, whose richly deserved best-actor win crowns a hat trick of awards for UK film talent,” he said. Newcomer writer Stephen Beresford’s Pride won the Queer Palm award, and Gaëlle Denis’s Crocodile scooped the Critics’ Week Canal+ prize for best short film.
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