Whiplash takes the top prize at the Deauville Film Festival

The drama, which took top honours at the Sundance Festival, is about a talented young drummer at a Manhattan conservatory striving for excellence under the tutelage of a hard-nosed teacher.

From left, the US composer Nicholas Britell, the US director Damien Chazelle and the US actor Miles Teller with the Grand Prize for Whiplash at the 40th annual Deauville American Film Festival in DeauShow more

The director Damien Chazelle's Whiplash took the top prize at the Deauville Film Festival on Saturday. It had previously taken top honours at the Sundance festival.

One of 14 films in competition for the grand prize at the French festival, it was also a huge hit with the public and received the audience prize for favourite film as well.

The drama tells the story of a talented young drummer at a Manhattan conservatory trying to become the best under the direction of a hard-nosed teacher.

The jury prize went to the French-Canadian director Philippe Falardeau's The Good Lie, starring Reese Witherspoon.

The film tells the story of four orphans who survive an attack on their village in South Sudan and, a decade later, emigrate to the United States.

Another highlight of the 40th edition of the festival – which celebrates American movies – was the biopic of the funk music star James Brown, Get on Up, by the director Tate Taylor, which had The Rolling Stones singer Mick Jagger as one of the producers.