'Hunger', the new film about the Irish hunger strikers and the last weeks of Bobby Sands' life, has won the Camera d'Or prize at the Cannes Film Festival for Best First Feature.

'Hunger' is the feature directing debut of Turner Prize-winning artist Steve McQueen and stars German-born and Kerry-raised actor Michael Fassbender in the lead role.

At the festival's closing ceremony, McQueen said of 'Hunger': "The film is about people in a situation of extreme pressure and what people do and what we do."

Commenting on the film's win, Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism Martin Cullen congratulated the cast, crew and producers.

He said: "This is the third year running that Irish film has been honoured at Cannes. Following the success of 'The Wind that Shakes the Barley' and 'Garage', this Camera D'Or will keep Irish film practitioners in the world's eye for the foreseeable future."

It is expected that 'Hunger', which was supported financially by the Northern Ireland Film Board and by the Broadcasting Commission of Ireland, will be released in the autumn.