Jean-François Laguionie then directed several short films, climaxing with the now famous "La Traversée de l'Atlantique à la rame" ("Rowing across the Atlantic") (1978), which the Short Film Palme d'Or at the 1978 Cannes Film Festival, the Grand Prize at the 1978 Ottawa International Animation Festival and the César Award for Best Animated Short Film at the 4th César Awards.