Meanwhile, the tender, sensual lesbian romance "Blue Is the Warmest Color," a French film, was named winner of the Palm D'Or prize, the festival's top honor.
Bruce Dern, 76, won the best actor award for Alexander Payne's "Nebraska," while the best actress award went to Berenice Bejo for her role in "The Past."
It was the first time that a Korean director has won the top award for short films at the Cannes Film Festival.
"Safe" was chosen as winner of the top prize for short films from among nine entries. The 13-minute film portrays a female college student working part-time at an exchange booth in a gambling parlor. She pockets part of money traded at the exchange booth to refund her debt. She struggles to leave the exchange booth, but the situation facing her deteriorates.
Production of the short film costed 8 million won, news reports said.
Other short films directed by Moon include "No More Coffee Break (2008)" and "Finis Operis (2011)." The latter was featured in the Critics' Week at Cannes in 2011.
Moon, 30, studied film at Chung-Ang University in Seoul.
reporter
Park Sae-jin
swatchsjp@ajunews.com