Ari Sandel made his live-action short, "West Bank Story," as his master's thesis. His only goal, he said, was to get it into Sundance.
Now he has an Oscar.
He wanted to make sure the film, about battling Jewish and Arab falafel vendors, was "pro-peace," he said.
"The response from Jews and Arabs has been overwhelming," he said. "In that respect it's a success."
Up next? A documentary with Vince Vaughn.