Crowd-funding platform Kickstarter just got some serious validation after the documentary short film Inocente became the first Kickstarter project to win an Oscar.

Late last week, Kickstarter highlighted the fact that three films funded on its site were up for an Oscar. Kings Point and Inocente had been nominated for best documentary short, and Buzkashi Boys was in the running for best live-action short. A number of projects had also been nominated in previous years, but Inocente made history by being the first to win.

Inocente follows a 15-year-old homeless girl and her dream of becoming an artist. The project raised over $52,000 from 294 backers last summer.

The win should give Kickstarter, which recently jumped onto mobile with an iOS app, increased visibility as a viable option for independent filmmakers. It’s thrilling to see the way Kickstarter is changing the funding process for ideas and projects, and Inocente’s success shows provides vindication for the platform.

Also at the Oscars: Film director Tim Burton makes a cameo in Samsung’s Oscars commercial and Apple puts the spotlight on film-themed iPad apps with ‘Hollywood’ ad spot during the Oscars

Image credit: Dean Treml / AFP / Getty Images

Read next: You are who you say you are – building a brand identity part II