YouTube filmmaker and cancer survivor Jared Lee accomplished another filmmaking milestone at the 2023 San Diego Comic-Con (SDCC) in the United States, on Wednesday, 26 July.

Lee’s Horologist short film won the Best Animation award at the San Diego International Independent Film Festival held as part of SDCC 2023. This makes Lee the first Malaysian to premiere and win a prestigious award at the festival.

According to his Instagram post, he thanked all those who supported the project and will keep pushing forward as long as he can;

“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.”

Grim Film CEO and Horologist writer and director Jared Lee also thanked Malaysian Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) and Malaysian National Film Development Corporation (FINAS) for making it possible. At the convention, Lee and sound engineer Ivan Cheong accepted the award together, as Cheong told on Facebook that the convention experience “fuelled our hopes and aspirations to level up even further”.

A response from Communications and Digital Minister Fahmi Fadzil on Facebook congratulated Lee and said it is a great achievement for the country’s animation as this is the first Malaysian animation to win the award.

“This is a huge success for the animation industry in Malaysia since this is the first Malaysian-made film to win the award. On behalf of the Communications and Digital Ministry, we are proud that he took advantage of a grant from the Malaysian Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) to create this animation. Once again, congratulations Jared Lee!”.

The six-minute short produced by Grim Film and Dinohowl tells the story of Sand, a humble shopkeeper, who discovers a mystical ability – the ability to sell time itself. As the story unfolds, it becomes apparent that Sand’s newfound power comes with a heavy and unforeseen price, leading him on a journey of self-discovery and consequences.

Horologist draws its inspiration from the first instalment of The Grimoire, a four-part comic-book collection created by Jared Lee and local comic artist Cross. In translating the comic to film, the animation brings to life the intricate details of the characters and the magical world they inhabit onscreen.

Watch the official Horologist trailer below.