KUALA LUMPUR, July 26 — YouTube filmmaker and cancer survivor Jared Lee has achieved another filmmaking milestone at pop-culture event San Diego Comic Con 2023.

Lee’s short film Horologist won Best Animation at the San Diego International Independent Film Festival, held as part of SDCC 2023.

This makes Horologist the first Malaysian short to premiere and win at festival.

"I have no words other than a big thank you to everyone who said yes to this project, and everyone who’ve supported the manga,” Lee wrote on Instagram.

"Friends, family and wife who believed in stories I’ve wanted to tell, and visions I couldn’t describe properly in words.

"Will keep pushing for as long as I am able.”

The filmmaker also thanked the Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) and Malaysian National Film Development Corporation (Finas) for making it possible.

Lee accepted the award at the convention alongside sound engineer Ivan Cheong, who said on Facebook that the trip "fueled our hopes and aspirations to level up even further”.

Horologist was a ‘pandemic passion project’ produced by Lee’s production company Grim Film and animation studio Dinohowl that was recently selected and screened at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival.

The short tells the story of Sand, a shopkeeper who finds a way to sell time itself at a heavy cost.

It is adapted from the first book out of a four-part comic-book collection called The Grimoire, created by Lee and local comic artist Cross.

Lee shared with Malay Mail that being at the convention itself was a surreal experience meeting his ‘heroes’, let alone winning the Best Animation award.

"I definitely came with zero expectations and was already happy to share it (Horologist) here at San Diego,” Lee said.

"I’m just keeping my head low now, praying for opportunities to come.”