Canadian feature Pour l'amour de Dieu (For the Love of God) has won a Jury Grand Prize at this year's Shanghai International Film Festival.

It was picked for the honour ahead of 17 films from around the world by a jury chaired by French director Jean-Jacques Annaud. It was the only Canadian film competing in the feature film category.

Directed by Micheline Lanctôt, the film follows a lonely girl in 1959 Quebec who forms an attachment, at school, to the beautiful Sister Cecilia and the young Father Malachy. She slowly comes to realize that while she is contemplating a religious life, the nun and priest are torn between love of God and love for each other.

The film stars Madeleine Péloquin as Sister Cecilia and Rossif Sutherland as Father Malachy.

The Iranian family drama Bear won the Golden Goblet Award for best film at the 15th Shanghai International Film Festival on Sunday.

The film, directed by Khosrow Masumi and produced by Javad Noruzbeigi, is about a man thought missing in action, who comes home after eight years as a prisoner of war to find his wife remarried and the mother of two children.

Other prizes:

• Best director: Gao Qunshu of China for Detective Hunter Zhang.
• Best actor: Vladas Bagdonas of Russia for The Conductor.
• Best actress: Ursula Pruneda of Mexico for The Dream of Lu.

In addition to the feature film, Telefilm Canada took nine Canadian documentaries to the festival, which ended Sunday.