Terence Malick’s new film Tree of Life has won the 2011 Cannes Film Festival Palm d’Or Award, the festival’s top prize. The film was co-edited by Art Center Film Department instructor and mentor Billy Weber.

Tree of Life is the story of a Midwestern family in the 1950s. The film follows the life journey of the eldest son (played as an adult by Sean Penn) through the innocence of childhood to his disillusioned adult years as he tries to reconcile a complicated relationship with his father (played by Brad Pitt).

Weber earned an Academy Award nomination for editing Malick’s Thin Red Line as well as one for editing Top Gun. His many editing credits include Nacho Libre, Miss Congeniality, Bulworth, Days of Thunder, Midnight Run, Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure, 48 Hrs and Beverly Hills Cop.

He directed Josh and S.A.M. and served an associate producer on The New World. He is currently editing Madagascar 3 for DreamWorks Animation. Congrats!