During a Sundance Film Festival Awards Ceremony reception Thursday afternoon at the Kimball Arts Center in Park City, the Sundance Institute and NHK, Japan ’s largest broadcaster, introduced the winners of the 2007 Sundance/NHK International Filmmakers Awards. The $10,000 annual prizes are given to four filmmakers from Europe, Latin America, the U.S. and Japan to help support the production of their winning narrative feature scripts.
This year’s recipients are Lucia Cedron (Argentina) with
Agnus Dei, Dagur Kari’s (Iceland)
The Good Heart, Tomoko Kana (Japan) with
Two by the River, and Caran Hartsfield’s (U.S.)
Bury Me Standing.
“Our winners’ projects represent incredibly unique work by filmmakers from around the world and we are especially proud to be supporting three extraordinary women directors among them this year,” said Alesia Weston , Associate Director of the Feature Film Program, International.
Kari, who previously directed the features
Noi Albinoi and
Dark Horse, told Filmmaker “I’m totally honored,” acknowledging that the award is a “very special prize” because of the size of the cash award.
The Good Heart, a drama about an ailing middle-aged bar owner who takes in a homeless man who’s recently attempted suicide and trains him to take over the bar, has secured the majority of financing required from Icelandic and European film funds and international co-production companies, including Canal +, Wild Bunch and Cinetic Media.
Accepting her award, Kana noted “Originally, I’m a documentary director, so to make a feature film is a big challenge for me, but I believe that I can overcome it.”
Two by the River is a drama about an elderly couple facing difficult decisions as the wife’s health deteriorates.
Cedron announced that
Agnus Dei, her drama about the legacy of the Argentinean dictatorship of the 1970s, is fully financed and will begin shooting in February, while award-winning short film director Caran Hartsfield observed that progress on her feature
Bury Me Standing is advancing with indie producers Gina Kwon and Effie Brown helping to guide the project.
The winning directors also receive a guarantee from NHK to purchase the Japanese television broadcast rights to their projects, as well as ongoing staff support in seeking financing and distribution from the Sundance Institute Feature Film Program.
# posted by Justin Lowe @ 1/25/2007 10:29:00 PM
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