WRITER Vanessa Davies and her pet pug have been honoured with the Palm Dogmanitarian Award at the Cannes Film Festival for inspiring the Disney family comedy Patrick.

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The award is a tribute to the achievement of writer and producer Davies, who transformed the cuteness of her black pug - also called Patrick - into a story for the big screen.

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“It’s a wonderful real life story and a worthy winner of the Palm Dogmanitarian Award, which celebrates the bond between canines and humans, “ said Palm Dog founder Toby Rose.

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The Disney film, released on June 29th, follows the story of an urban pooch and his owner, played by Beattie Edmondson.

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The canine cast of Dogman - a gritty tale of a dog groomer living on the wildest of wild sides in Naples - scooped the prestigious Palm Dog prize.

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Matteo Garrone’s dark film stars Marcello Fonte as the boss of a poodle parlour who gets involved with the criminal underworld. But it is the large cast of dogs that steal the show.

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“The performance of the canine cast was particularly revered by the judges,” said Rose.

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The Grand Jury Prize went to Diamantino, featuring a cast of CGI-created “fluffy puppies”.

 

The film follows the story of skilled footballer Diamantino who is moved by the plight of refugees and adopts a refugee boy. 

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Jury members were Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian; Kaleem Aftab, The Independent; Anna Smith, President UK Critics’ Circle; Rita Di Santo, Vice President FIPRESCI; Tim Robey, Daily Telegraph; Damon Wise, veteran film writer.

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The event took place  at the Grand Hotel Plage in Cannes and was sponsored by European digital pet site Wamiz.

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Past winners of Palm Dog Awards include Ken Loach and Uggie