Laurent Cantet's The Class takes Palme d'Or

Laurent Cantet's The Class (Entre Les Murs) has taken this year's Palme d'Or.

The film is a Paris classroom drama-documentary based on a novel by Francois Begaudeau, who playsa teacher in the filmworking in a tough Parisian neighbourhood.

Screen's four-star review describes it as offering 'a rich microcosm of today's multi-ethnic French population.'Click here to see full review.

Jury president Sean Pennsaid the decision to give the award to Cantet's 'amazing, amazing film'was unanimous. Click here to see trailer.

It was the first Palme D'Or win for a French film since Maurice Pialat's Sous Le Soleil De Satan in 1987.

The jury Grand Prix went to Matteo Garrone's Gomorrah. Screen described the film as 'probably the most authentic and unsentimental mafia movie ever to come out of Italy'.Click here to see full review.Click here to see trailer.

The Jury Prize was won by Paolo Sorrentino's Il Divo, which Screen described as 'enjoyably original, lurid, sardonic political opera.' Clickhere to see full review.

Best director was Nuri Bilge Ceylan forThree Monkeys. Click here to see review.

Steve McQueen's Hunger about IRA hunger striker Bobby Sandstook the Camera d'Or prize. Click here to see review.

Benicio Del Toro won best actor for Steven Soderbergh's Che (click for review), while Sandra Corveloni won best actress for Linha De Passe(click for review)

Clint Eastwood and Catherine Deneuve won special jury awards.

The Dardenne brothers missed out on the opportunity to take an unprecedented three Palme d'Ors but did win the best screenplay honours for Lorna's Silence (click for review).

AWARDS IN FULL

Palme d'Or