Sundance/NHK unveil finalists for filmmaker prize

Diego Lerman

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The Sundance Institute and Japanese broadcaster NHK on Thursday unveiled the 12 finalists for their filmmaking prize that supports new and emerging voices in independent cinema from around the world.

The Sundance/NHK Filmmakers Award, given out each January at the Sundance Film Festival, is now in its thirteenth year and although it is not as well-known as winning a festival prize, the exposure that comes from being an NHK winner can help fund a project that might not otherwise get made.

From the 12 finalists, four winners will be picked -- one each from Europe, Latin America, the United States and Japan. Each receives $10,000 in cash and NHK guarantees it will acquire Japanese broadcast rights to the eventual film, which can be worth as much as $100,000.

Past winners include films such as Walter Salles' "Central Station" from Brazil and Miranda July's "Me and You and Everyone We Know," a U.S. entry.

Fernando Eimbcke, whose drama "Lake Tahoe" was a 2006 Sundance/NHK winner, is now seeing his movie play in theaters. It screened this week at AFI Fest in Los Angeles.

The 12 finalists are:

EUROPE

Celia Galan Julve, "Rosita Guzman Is Alive" (Spain)

Lucile Hadzihalilovic, "Evolution" (France)

Marco Van Geffen, "Among Us" (Netherlands)

LATIN AMERICA

Fellipe Barbosa, "Casa Grande" (Brazil)

Marcelo Gomes and Cao Guimaraes, "The Man of the Crowd" (Brazil)

Diego Lerman, "The Discipline Monitor" (Argentina)

UNITED STATES

Dee Rees, "Pariah"

David Riker, "The Girl"

John Magary, "Blood Abundance, Or the Half-Life Of Antoinette"

JAPAN

Qurata Kenji, "Speed Girl"

Yukiko Mishima, "When Nobody Calls Your Name"

Season Noda (niga oolong), "Limbo Mambo"