May 25, 2015

Wave '98" won the Palme d'Or at Cannes over a live-action short film.

The 68th Cannes International Film Festival closed Sunday night, and this year animation reigned supreme. The Palme d'Or for best short film went to Lebanese director Ely Dagher for his animated short "Waves '98."

Dagher's 15-minute short, a coming-of-age story set in 1990s Beirut, was one of two animated films entered in the nine short films in competition. Since the Festival de Cannes does not distinguish animated films from live action, Daguerre's award was all the more special because it was competing against all the films in the Short Films section. The last time an animated short film won a Palme in the Short Film category was in 2010 with Serge Avedikian's "Chienne d'Histoire."

Dagher's award marks the second time this year that an animated film has won the top prize at a major film festival where animation and live action are judged together. Last January, Don Hertzfeldt's "World of Tomorrow" won the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival.

Since the Cannes Film Festival is an Academy Awards® selection festival, Duggar's "Waves '98" was eligible for the 2015 Academy Awards®. For more information on the film, visit its website.