Canadian director Xavier Dolan wins major prize at Cannes

CANNES, France – Canadian director Xavier Dolan has won one of the major prizes at the prestigious Cannes film festival.

Dolan shared the Jury prize for the film Mommy.

The top honour of the festival, the prestigious Palme d’Or, went to Turkish drama Winter Sleep.

Director Nuri Bilge Ceylan dedicated the award to “the young people in Turkey and those who lost their lives in the last year.” A coal mine fire in Turkey recently killed 301 workers.

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READ MORE: Canada’s Xavier Dolan generates buzz at Cannes

Running more than three hours, Winter Sleep is about a family running a hotel in the snowy Turkish hills and their strained relationship with their village tenants.

Bennett Miller won the award for best director. His wrestling drama Foxcatcher stars Channing Tatum and Steve Carell.

Best actor went to Timothy Spall who stars as British painter J.M.W. Turner in Mr. Turner. Julianne Moore won best actress for her performance in the made-in-Toronto Hollywood satire Maps to the Stars.

Telefilm Canada executive director Carolle Brabant issued a statement congratulating Dolan.