CANNES, France (Reuters) - Cannes' coveted canine award -- The Palm Dog -- was given Thursday to Moses the mutt for his unforgettable cameo in the Nicole Kidman movie "Dogville."

The award was all the more remarkable as Moses spends almost the entire film represented as a chalk outline on the theatrical set of quirky Danish director Lars von Trier's film.

But the judges -- five British and American film critics -- felt that Moses merited his prize for barking so powerfully as an invisible voice-off.

They said that Moses, who made a brief real-life appearance at the end of the film, won because "his contribution was vital to the film's impact."

British journalist Toby Rose, the editor of DQ (Dog Quarterly) magazine and inventor of the award three years ago, said: "This has cut a swathe through the film community in Cannes. It was very tense for the film industry. But the decision of the judges was unanimous."

Aki Kaurismaki accepted last year's award on behalf of his canine star and housemate Tahti in "The Man Without a Past." The Palm Dog award was even cited on the film's posters.

The 2003 award -- a black and gold-studded dog collar -- was put round the neck of "Dogville" producer Vibeke Windelov who looked understandably bemused by the tongue-in-cheek award.