Young Czech director Zuzana Spidlova won the prize for the best student and youth film (Cinefondation) at the Cannes festival for her film "Baba" (2008) on Friday.

"I am slightly shocked and I am very happy. It is a pleasant surprise," she said, and the success would help her raise money for her new work.

Her 21-minute film was nominated along with 16 other films to the final competition, in which 1,443 student films from all parts of the world took part.

Spidla had done extensive research in pensioners' homes and in clinics for the chronically ill before she made "Baba," which is a story of a teenage girl which takes care of her old grandmother in a very special way.

"Mom has never asked me, she just brought granny home. Now she lies in the middle of my room and I have to take care of her. All the time," the caption introducing the short film says.

Spidlova graduated from the Law Faculty of Charles University in 2008. She also received a Bachelor's degree at Prague's Film Faculty. Last year, Baba was named the best film of the Czech student film festival Famufest.

Baba has been the first Czech non-animated film nominated to the festival's Cinefondation section.

As part of the prize, Spidlova's possible first feature film will be shown at the festival in Cannes in future.

(Xinhua News Agency May 23, 2009)