Russian director Nikita Mikhalkov won a special Lion for the "consistent brilliance" of his work, which reflects "great humanity and emotion and the complexity of existence."
Mikhalkov, 62, presented 12 at this year's festival, a rowdy courtroom drama about a Russian jury asked to convict a Chechen youth for the murder of his stepfather.
In accepting the best screenplay award, Loach paid tribute to his cast, which starred upcoming UK actress Kierston Wareing as a gritty single mother and entrepreneur.
"Of course a screenplay means absolutely nothing if you look into an actor's eyes and don't believe them," he said.
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