Michael Haneke has won his second Palme d’Or in three years, with Amour. The moving portrait of an octogenarian couple whose comfortable life is turned upside down as the woman becomes terminally ill was widely tipped for the top prize here.

The Grand Prix was awarded to Reality, by the Italian Matteo Garrone, about a fishmonger who dreams of taking part in Big Brother. The Jury Prize, effectively the festival’s third prize, was won by Ken Loach’s comedy The Angels’ Share.

This year’s jury was led by the Italian director Nanni Moretti and included Ewan McGregor, Alexander Payne and Jean Paul Gaultier. Their most controversial award will probably be regarded as that for best director, to the Mexican Carlos Reygadas, whose Post Tenebras Lux was booed at its press screening. A more popular choice would be best actor, for Mads Mikkelsen, for his moving portrait of a teacher falsely accused of abusing one of his pupils, in The Hunt.

The best actress award was shared by the young Romanians Cristina Flutur and Cosmina Stratan, who appeared together in Beyond the Hills, Cristian Mungiu’s attack on Orthodox religion. Mungiu won the award for best screenplay.

The Camera d’Or for best first feature was award to Beasts of the Southern Wild, Benh Zeitlin’s wildly imaginative fable about an island community trying to survive a devastating storm.

• Read Demetrios Matheou's review of Amour on theartsdesk
• Read theartsdesk coverage of Cannes 2012