Michelle Williams, who stars in Wendy and Lucy, made her first official public appearance since the death of ex-boyfriend Heath Ledger last January, on the Cannes red carpet

America, the world’s lone superpower and the richest nation on earth, can add a new feather to its cap. Or should that be a biscuit to its doggie bowl. The land of liberty became the first country to win a special prize at the Cannes film festival — one set aside for dogs.

You may have heard of the Palme d’Or, the festival’s highest honour. But possibly not the Palme Dog. The unofficial prize, presented to the mutt with the most screen presence, was won on Saturday by an American mongrel, Lucy. The female canine gave her name to the titular role in the film Wendy and Lucy — in which she shows off her talent for stealing dog food while on a road trip to Alaska.

“Ladies and gentlemen, dogs and bitches,” Toby Rose, the high priest of the doggie proceedings, said before awarding the prize to tail-wager Lucy. Outlining the virtues of the thespian hound’s cinematic stage-coach to greater fame, he continued: “The film’s got everything — dog food, the dog pound and the dogged determination of a down and out.” Woofs all round then.

The prize, a diamante collar with the words Palm Dog woven into it, was collected by the film’s director, Reichardt. Although he admitted that, sadly, his best friend Lucy may not be able to wear the collar at home in New York. “She’ll probably get her ass whipped if she walks around Queens with that on,” Reichardt admitted.

Could the US get its paws on the prize again next year? The Israeli film Waltz With Bashir, which opens with a pack of snarling pooches, got close to snagging the gong this time around, along with Norwegian comedy, ’Horten, which was runner up — proving that terrier talent can clearly be sniffed out the world over. Maybe it is about time one of India’s hapless strays barked for Bollywood. Then again, training may already be underway for next year’s star-spangled-spaniel.

Also this week: a new joint British, Indian and Pakistani film project, 60x60 has been announced. Focusing on diasporic identities in and beyond the three countries, the event will showcase 60 one-minute films — with 20 coming from India, 20 from the UK and 20 from Pakistan. The films may be short, but according to the promotional material, they will look “beyond media, political and religious definitions [and] unravel complex identities and stories, and redefine cultures that are evolving in an age of globalisation.” Not to be dismissed out of hand then. The 60 films will open in London in June and in India and Pakistan simultaneously in 2008. A preview can be seen at www.360degrees.tv.

The UK Film Council has also announced it will be honouring some of the best Asian and Black film-making talent in the UK this year with an honour programme called Breakthrough Brits. It intends on celebrating a new wave of multiethnic British film-making talent that is “on the cusp” of breakthrough international success. The programme will culminate in a special showcase event in Los Angeles on June 4, where heavyhitters of the Hollywood industry will be present — and, one hopes, no four-leggeds in sight.

Jack Lamport

(A writer and part-time actor based in London)