MUMBAI: The London Film Festival‘s inaugural Star Of London award for best film went to Jacques Audiard‘s A Prophet at the awards ceremony last night.

Said Jury chairperson, Anjelica Huston of France‘s foreign-language Academy Award submisison, "A masterpiece, Un Prophete has the ambition, purity of vision and clarity of purpose to make it an instant classic. With seamless and imaginative story-telling, superb performances and universal themes, Jacques Audiard has made a perfect film."

The jury gave a special mention to John Hillcoat‘s The Road.

In another first-time presentation, the Best British Newcomer award celebrating a film-maker who had demonstrated ‘real creative flair and imagination with their first feature‘ went to The Scouting Book For Boys screenwriter Jack Thorne.

The jury also gave a special mention to J Blakeson, the writer and director of The Disappearance Of Alice Creed that premiered in Toronto recently.

The longstanding Sutherland Award presented to the maker of the most original and imaginative first feature went to Scandar Copti and Yaron Shani‘s Ajami, Israel‘s foreign-language Oscar submission.

The London Film Festival Grierson Award for best documentary was presented to Yoav Shamir for Defamation.