Montreal filmmaker Xavier Dolan has won the jury prize at the Cannes films festival, as his film "Mommy" tied with "Goodbye for Language" for the award handed out Saturday.

Dolan's comedy had impressed audiences with its audacious drama laced with wicked humour,

Had he won the top prize, the Palme D'Or, Dolan, 25, would have become the second youngest Cannes winner ever, just behind Louis Malle.

In an emotional and lengthy acceptance speech Dolan said that he, "does this job to love and be loved."

Dolan's film's stars Anne Dorval, who plays a feisty woman grappling with a violent, bipolar son.

U.S. movie website Indiewire called the picture "amazingly alive" and "one of the most vibrant, intoxicating, illuminating films of this or any Cannes."

Germany's daily Sueddeutsche Zeitung hailed Dolan as a "wunderkind" and a worthy successor to the late iconoclast Rainer Werner Fassbinder.

American actress Julianne Moore won in the best actress category for her role in "Maps to the Stars" directed by David Cronenberg.

A third Canadian film, "The Captive" by Atom Egoyan was also in official competition. It was the first time Canada placed as many films in the competition.

"Winter Sleep" by the Turkish Nuri Bilge Ceylan won the top prize.

Although Dolan is only 25 he is no stranger to the Cannes festival.

In 2009 he made a splash with his directorial debut, "I Killed My Mother," written when he was just 17. The film -- a semi-autobiographical story about a boy discovering his homosexuality and battling with his mother -- reportedly earned an eight-minute standing ovation at the festival and ultimately won three awards in the Director's Fortnight Program.

Dolan's list of films also include "Heartbeats" ("Les Amours imaginaire") (2010); "Laurence Anyways" (2012) and "Tom at the Farm" ("Tom a la ferme") (2013).

The Montreal-born filmmaker began acting in commercials - notably for Jean Coutu pharmacies - at age four, appeared in the TV movie "Misericorde" in 1994, and the divisive 2008 horror film "Martyrs" in 2008.

-With a file from The Associated Press