Sundance Institute and NHK (Japan Broadcasting Corporation) have announced the 12 finalists for the 2006 Sundance/NHK International Filmmakers Awards.
Marking the 10th anniversary of the Award, the 2006 finalists represent the best in independent voices from around the globe.
This annual award supports new artists in international cinema and is presented to emerging film directors from four global regions to support them in realizing their next projects.
One winner from Europe, Latin America, the United States, and Japan is selected by members of an international jury. The four winners will be announced during the 2006 Sundance Film Festival and presented with the award at the Festival Awards Ceremony.
The winning director from each region will receive a $10,000 award and a guarantee from NHK to purchase the Japanese television broadcast rights upon completion of their project. In addition, Sundance Institute will work closely with the award recipients throughout the year, providing ongoing support and assistance in seeking out opportunities to finance and distribute their projects.
“This award, an integral part of Sundance Institute’s Feature Film Program, provides significant support for international artists with original stories to tell. We’re thrilled by the quality and authentic voices of this year’s finalists,” said Michelle Satter, Director, Sundance Institute Feature Film Program.
Alesia Weston, Senior Manager of the Feature Film Program, International, added: “These projects and stories represent a wide range of artistic vision that transcends geographic and political boundaries.”
Past recipients of the award include: Miranda July, Me And You And Everyone You Know (USA); Andrucha Waddington, The House of Sand(Brazil); Lucrecia Martel, La Cienaga (Argentina); Juan Pablo Rebella and Pablo Stoll, Whisky (Uruguay); Walter Salles, Central Station (Brazil); and Chris Eyre, Smoke Signals (USA).
The twelve finalists for the 2006 Sundance/NHK International Filmmakers Awards are:
EUROPE:Veit Helmer - Azerbaijan Dream (Germany) When a remote village loses its water supply, two young lovers find themselves caught in a battle of the sexes. Their hope to consummate their love is thwarted as the women of the town declare a “no sex strike” until their water supply returns.
Nanouk Leopold - Wolfsbergen (The Netherlands) Unable to recover from his wife’s death, a man informs his children and grandchildren of his plans to commit suicide but finds they are too preoccupied with their own lives to stop him.
Patrice Toye - The Spring Ritual(Belgium) Patrice Toye’s second feature film tells the story of Tomas, who after staging his death and escaping to a new life, realizes the extent of his loss. He returns home, hoping to reunite with his wife, but finds that the life he left behind has irrevocably changed.
LATIN AMERICA:Alejandro Fernandez Almendras - Huacho (Chile) Set in the Chilean countryside, Huacho presents a day in the life of a small rural family struggling to keep up with a modern world that continues to move on without them.
Josué Mendez - Dioses (Peru) Members of a privileged Peruvian family grapple with issues of class, family relationships, and personal ambitions.
Fernando Eimbcke - Lake Tahoe(Mexico) Thirteen-year-old Juan is obsessed with repairing the car he has just crashed, his late father’s final gift to him. As he wanders the city searching for parts, Juan is forced to make the transition from childhood to adulthood in the course of a day.
UNITED STATES:Cruz Angeles - Don't Let Me Drown A post-September 11th world overflowing with fear and hate, where two Latino teens discover that the only thing that can keep them from drowning is each other.
Dante Harper - Dreamland An unflinching portrayal of the origins of domestic terrorism, Dreamland is the tragic story of Timothy McVeigh, from his boyhood dreams of being a soldier to his life as a man at war with his own country.
Andrew Dosunmu - Mother of George The story of a woman’s struggle to please her husband and live within a community that defines a woman by the children she will have one day.
JAPAN:Minehito Fujita - Hurricane A well-respected businessman has lived with the presence of a ghostly apparition for years. When he discovers that his employee can see the same ghost, a special bond forms between the two men.
Satoki Kenmochi - Next Sunday In the shadow of the 2002 World Cup in Japan, a Korean foreign exchange student and an older Japanese man fall in love, transcending the typically strained relations between their countries.
Kanji Nakajima - The Clone Returns To The Homeland Against the wishes of his wife, a recently deceased man is brought back as a clone. Although given a second chance, he is unable to connect to his family or escape the memories of his former self.
