Sundance/NHK International Filmmaker Awards Announced

The Sundance Institute and the Japanese Broadcasting Corporation (NHK) announced the 12 finalists for the 2010 Sundance/NHK International Filmmaker Awards. The 12 finalists represent four international regions—Europe, Latin America, the United States and Japan—and the award will be presented to one moviemaker in each region. Each winner will be awarded a $10,000 cash prize and a purchase guarantee with NHK, Japan’s national broadcasting company. Additionally, the Sundance Institute will provide ongoing mentorship and guidance as the moviemakers search for financial support and distribution deals over the next year.

Since its founding in 1981, the Sundance Institute has supported more than 450 independent moviemakers. The Sundance/NHK International Filmmaker Award provides emerging moviemakers with the opportunity to showcase their work to an international audience. In anticipation of this year’s competition, Michelle Satter, the director of the Sundance Institute Feature Film Program, comments, “The Sundance/NHK Award represents our commitment to providing financial support to international filmmakers with singular, authentic voices, and original stories to tell. We have an excellent group of finalists, and we look forward to inviting the four winners to the 2010 Sundance Film Festival, and working with them throughout the year.”

The winners will be announced on January 28, 2010 at the Sundance/NHK International Filmmakers Award reception. The competition and reception are both part of the Sundance Film Festival, running in and around Park City, Utah from January 21-31, 2010.

The 2010 Finalists for the Sundance/NHK International Filmmaker Award are:

EUROPE:

Pablo Berger / Snowhite (Spain)

Maria Saakyan / I’m Going to Change My Name aka Alaverdy (Armenia)

Andrei Zviagintsev / Elena (Russia)

LATIN AMERICA:

Amat Escalante / Heli (Mexico)

Rodrigo Plá / La Demora (The Delay) (Uruguay/Mexico)

Manuel Nieto Zas / El Lugar del Hijo (The Militant) (Uruguay)

UNITED STATES:

Benh Zeitlin / Beasts of the Southern Wild

So Yong Kim / For Ellen

Andrew MacLean / On The Ice

JAPAN:

Tamako Hioki / No Woman No Cry

Ryo Nakajima / Sleeping Beauty

Daisuke Yamaoka / The Wonderful Lives at Asahigaoka

For more information on the moviemakers and their films, visit www.sundance.org.