NHK ASIAN FILM FESTIVAL + Sundance Institute/NHK Award

2007/11/30

Sundance/NHK International Filmmakers Award 2008 – 12 finalists announced

Sundance Institute and NHK (Japan Broadcasting Corporation) announced the twelve finalists for the 2008 Sundance/NHK International Filmmakers Award. This annual award supports new voices in international cinema and is presented to emerging film directors to support them in realizing their next projects. One winner from each of four global regions, Europe, Latin America, the United States, and Japan, is selected by members of an international jury. The four winners will be announced during the 2008 Sundance Film Festival.

The twelve finalists for the 2008 Sundance/NHK International Filmmakers Award are:
[ EUROPE ]
Janez Burger "CIRCUS FANTASTICUS"(Slovenia)
Radu Jude "THE HAPPIEST GIRL IN THE WORLD"(Romania)
Jasmila Zbanic "ON THE PATH"(Bosnia and Herzegovina)

[ LATIN AMERICA ]
Alejandro Fernández Almendras "HUACHO"(Chile)
Paz Fabrega "AGUA FRIA DE MAR" (Costa Rica)
Juliana Rojas & Marco Dutra "WORK IS TIRING"(Brazil)

[ USA ]
Braden King "HERE"
Jake Mahaffy "FREE IN DEED"
James Ponsoldt "REFRESH, REFRESH"

[ JAPAN ]
Akira Ichinose "LAMPLIGHT AND SHADOWS"
Yukihiko Goto "THREE COLD DAYS AND FOUR WARM DAYS"
Aiko Nagatsu "APOPTOSIS"

2007/01/31

Sundance/NHK International Filmmakers Award Winners Announced.

Sundance Institute and NHK (Japan Broadcasting Corporation) have announced the winners of 2007 Sundance/NHK International Filmmakers Award on 27th at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah. This annual award was created to support new voices in international cinema and is presented to emerging film directors, to support them in realizing their next project. Each winner is eligible to win a cash award of $10,000 and a guarantee from NHK to purchase the Japanese television broadcast rights upon completion of the project.

The four winners of the 2007 Sundance/NHK International Filmmakers Award are (from left to right):

[ USA ]
"BURY ME STANDING" Caran Hartsfield

[ JAPAN ]
"TWO BY THE RIVER" Tomoko KANA

[ LATIN AMERICA ]
"AGNUS DEI" Lucía Cedrón (Argentina)

[ EUROPE ]
"THE GOOD HEART" Dagur Kári (Iceland)

2006/01/30

Winners of Sundance/NHK Award 2006!

Sundance Institute and NHK (Japan Broadcasting Corporation) have announced the winners of 2006 Sundance/NHK International Filmmakers Award on the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah. This annual award was created to support new voices in international cinema and is presented to emerging film directors, to support them in realizing their next project. Each winner is eligible to win a cash award of $10,000 and a guarantee from NHK to purchase the Japanese television broadcast rights upon completion of the project.

The four winners of the 2006 Sundance/NHK International Filmmakers Award are:
[ JAPAN ]
"THE CLONE RETURNS TO THE HOMELAND" Kanji Nakajima

[ USA ]
"DON'T LET ME DROWN" Cruz Angeles

[ LATIN AMERICA ]
"LAKE TAHOE" Fernando Eimbcke

[ EUROPE ]
"THE SPRING RITUAL" Patrice Toye

2005/12/25

The 6th NHK Asian Film Festival has finished!

The 6th NHK Asian Film Festival finished on the 25th of December. The festival would like to express its gratitude to the people who participated.
As to the three new films of 2005 which was screened at the festival, they are scheduled to be shown on the BS Hivision Channel on the following dates.

* 6th, Feb(Mon) 11:03pm
"4:30"(2005, Singapore/Japan, 94min)

* 7th, Feb(Tues) 11:18pm
"Upwards"(2005, Vietnam/Japan, 110min)

* 8th, Feb(Wed) 11:03pm
"Don't Look Back"(2005, Korea/Japan, 144min)

2005/11/15

Sundance/NHK International Filmmakers Award 2006 - finalists announced!

Sundance Institute and NHK (Japan Broadcasting Corporation) have announced twelve finalists for the 2006 Sundance/NHK International Filmmakers Awards. This annual award was created to support new voices in international cinema and is presented to emerging film directors, to support them in realizing their next project. One winner from each of four global regions is selected by members of an international jury and announced at the Awards Ceremony at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival.

The twelve finalists for the 2006 Sundance/NHK International Filmmakers Award are:

[ JAPAN ]
"HURRICANE" Minehito Fujita
"THIS SUNDAY" Satoki Kenmochi
"THE CLONE RETURNS TO THE HOMELAND" Kanji Nakajima

[ USA ]
"DON'T LET ME DROWN" Cruz Angeles
"DREAMLAND" Dante W Harper
"MOTHER OF GEORGE" Andrew Dosunmu

[ LATIN AMERICA ]
"DIOSES" Josue Mendez
"HUACHO" Alejandro Fernandez Almendras
"LAKE TAHOE" Fernando Eimbcke

[ EUROPE ]
"WOLFSBERGEN" Nanouk Leopold
"THE SPRING RITUAL" Patrice Toye
"AZERBAIJAN DREAM" Veit Helmer

2005/08/04

NHK Asian Film Festival receives "The Asian Filmmaker of the Year" from The Pusan International Film Festival!

The Pusan International Film Festival will start from 6th of October this year, and the NHK Asian Film Festival will receive "The Asian Filmmaker of the Year" during the festival.
This award is given to individuals or organizations who have made significant contributions in promoting Asian cinema, and the 10 year effort of the NHK Asian Film Festival has been appreciated as a meaningful project for the development of Asian cinema.
The first recipient of this award was Mohsen Makhmalbaf from Iran, the second recipient, Hou Hsiao Hsien from Taiwan. NHK is to be the third recipient of this award.

2005/07/25

"ME AND YOU AND EVERYONE WE KNOW" won GRAND PRIZE!!

Winner of Sundance/NHK Award 2004, "Me and You and Everyone We Know" by Miranda July (USA) won GRAND PRIZE at the International Feature Competition at SKIP CITY INTERNATIONAL D-Cinema FESTIVAL 2005 held from 7/16 to 7/24.

2005/07/12

"ME AND YOU AND EVERYONE WE KNOW" first screening in Japan!

Winner of Sundance/NHK Award 2004, "Me and You and Everyone We Know" by Miranda July (USA), was selected for the International Feature Competition at SKIP CITY INTERNATIONAL D-Cinema FESTIVAL 2005, being held from 7/16 to 7/24.

* Screening Schedule: 7/18(MON) 11:30-, 7/20(WED) 18:30-
* Q&A with director Miranda July: 7/23(SAT) 17:00-

2005/05/25

Sundance/NHK film won Camera d'Or & Critics' Week Grand Prix at CANNES!!

At the 58th Cannes Film Festival held from May 11 to 22, the US winner of Sundance/NHK Award 2004, Me and You and Everyone We Know (directed by, Miranda July) has received Camera d'Or and Critics' Week Grand Prix.

2005/05/17

NHK Film selected to CANNES!

Me and You and Everyone We Know [International Critics' Week]
by Miranda July (USA) Winner Sundance/NHK Award 2004

2005/01/27

Winners of Sundance/NHK Award 2005!

Sundance Institute and NHK (Japan Broadcasting Corporation) have announced the winners of 2005 Sundance/NHK International Filmmakers Award on 27th at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah. This annual award was created to support new voices in international cinema and is presented to emerging film directors, to support them in realizing their next project. Each winner is eligible to win a cash award of $10,000 and a guarantee from NHK to purchase the Japanese television broadcast rights upon completion of the project.

The four winners of the 2005 Sundance/NHK International Filmmakers Award are:
[ USA ]
Richard PRESS - VIRTUAL LOVE

[ LATIN AMERICA ]
Rodrigo MORENO - THE MINDER (Argentina)

[ EUROPE ]
Catalin MITULESCU - THE WAY I SPENT THE END OF THE WORLD (Romania)

[ JAPAN ]
Mipo OH - YOMOYAMA BLUES

*Adding these 4 new winners, the Award recipients are 35 in total.

2004/11/01

Sundance/NHK Film won GRAND PRIX at Tokyo Int'l!!

At the 17th Tokyo International Film Festival, WHISKY (Latin American winner of Sundance/NHK International Filmmakers Award 2003 from Uruguay) received "Tokyo Grand Prix" and "Award For Best Performance by an Actress in Leading Role."

2004/08/16

"THE HUNTER" won 3 awards at Locarno Film Festival!!

"THE HUNTER" (Kazakhstan/NHK)by. Serik Aprimov.
At the 57th Locarno International Film Festival, NHK's co-production film with director Serik Aprymov, "THE HUNTER" won "NETPAC Award," "CICAE Award," and "Junior Jury Award."

2004/08/11

"WAITING FOR THE CLOUDS" in competition at the Montreal World Film Festival!

"WAITING FOR THE CLOUDS" (Turkey)by. Yesim Ustaoglu.
Montreal World Film Festival announced the full line-up of its 28th festival on August 11, and "WAITING FOR THE CLOUDS", winner of Sundance/NHK International Filmmakers Award 2003, by Yesim Ustaoglu (Turkey) is officially invited to the Official World Competition. (The 28th Montreal World Film Festival will be held from August 26th through September 6th.)

2004/07/14

"THE HUNTER" in Competition at the 57th Locarno Int'l Film Festival!!

"THE HUNTER" (by. Serik Aprimov. Kazakhstan/NHK)
Locarno International Film Festival announced the full line-up of its 57th festival on July 14, and "THE HUNTER" co-produced by Serik Aprymov (Kazakhstan) and NHK for the 5th NHK Asian Film Festival is officially invited to the Official Competition. (The 57th Locarno Int'l Film Festival will be held from August 4th through 14th.)

2004/05/31

Sundance/NHK film WHISKY won 2 awards at Cannes!

At the 57th Cannes Film Festival, WHISKY (Latin American winner of Sundance/NHK International Filmmakers Award 2003 from Uruguay) received "PRIX DU REGARD ORIGINAL"" and "FIPRESCI Award"

2004/05/31

3NHK Films selected to CANNES!

FIVE Dedicated to OZU [Out of Competition]
by A.Kiarostami(Iran=NHK) The 5th NHK Asian Film Festival

CRONICAS [Un Certain Regard]
by. Sebastian Cordero(Ecuador) Winner Sundance/NHK Award 2002

WHISKY [Un Certain Regard]
by. Juan Pablo Rebella and Pablo Stoll(Uruguay)
Winner Sundance/NHK Award 2003

Two filmmakers NHK supported have selected to Competition!!
Motorcycle Dairies [Competition]
by. Walter Salles ("Central Station" Brasil)
La Nina Santa [Competition]
by. Lucrecia Martel ("La Cienaga" Argentina)

2004/01/26

The Golden Gloves NHK's Co-producing Film "Osama" Wins Best Foreign Language Film!

TOKYO, January 26, 2004 _ The winners for the 61st Annual Golden Globe Awards were announced Sunday, January 25th (EST) at a hotel in California, U.S., and NHK's co-producing film, "Osama" (directed by Siddiq Barmak, Afghanistan/NHK) was awarded for the Best Foreign Language Film. This is the first time for NHK's co-producing film to win the Golden Globe Awards.

The Golden Globes are presented by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) and honor achievements in film and television during the calendar year. NHK will broadcast the Awards Ceremony and the film "Osama" in the following schedule.

The Golden Globe Awards Ceremony
7:20 _ 9:55 p.m. February 8th on NHK-BS2

"Osama"
11:00 p.m. _ 0:24 a.m. February 23rd on NHK BS-hi
9:00 p.m. _ 10:24 p.m. February 28th on NHK BS-hi

2004/01/25

Sundance/NHK International Filmmakers Award Winners!

NHK and Sundance Institute announced the winners of 2004 Sundance/NHK International Filmmakers Award on 24 January at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah.

Winners are:
[ USA ]
Miranda July - ME AND YOU AND EVERYONE WE KNOW

[ LATIN AMERICA ]
Andrucha Waddington - THE HOUSE OF SAND (Brazil)

[ EUROPE ]
Gyorgy Palfi - TAXIDERMIA (Hungary)

[ JAPAN ]
No none
(Honorable mention Kosuke Hosokai - TEPID LOVE)

*A winning project from Japan was not selected this year, however, Kosuke Hosokai, TEPID LOVE, received the honorable mention (5,000 dollars cash award.)
*Adding these 3 new winners, the Award recipients are 31 in total.

2003/11/21

Finalists For The Sundance/NHK International Filmmakers Awards Announced

Sundance Institute and NHK (Japan Broadcasting Corporation) have announced twelve finalists for the 2004 Sundance/NHK International Filmmakers Awards. This annual award was created to support new voices in international cinema and is presented to emerging film directors, to support them in realizing their next project. Each finalist is eligible to win a cash award of $10,000 and a guarantee from NHK to purchase the Japanese television broadcast rights upon completion of the project. One winner from each of four global regions is selected by members of an international jury and announced at the Awards Ceremony at the 2004 Sundance Film Festival.

The twelve finalists for the 2004 Sundance/NHK International Filmmakers Award are:

[ EUROPE ]
Christoffer Boe - ALLEGRO (Denmark)
Alice Nellis - LOVING HELL (Czech Republic)
Gyorgy Palfi - TAXIDERMIA (Hungary)

[ LATIN AMERICA ]
Eliane Caffe - CHASING VOICES (Brazil)
Santiago Loza - EMPTY ROOMS (Argentina)
Andrucha Waddington - THE HOUSE OF SAND (Brazil)

[ USA ]
Caran Hartsfield - BURY ME STANDING
Miranda July - ME AND YOU AND EVERYONE WE KNOW
Elisabeth Subrin - UP

[ JAPAN ]
Kosuke Hosokai - TEPID LOVE
Yuichi Kurokawa - 30 SECONDS: 3 VICTIMS
Tatsunori Natsui - KUNOHE VILLAGE IN THE KUNOHE DISTRICT IN THE KUNOHE PROVINCE

2003/08/12

"Floating Landscape" in the 60th Venice Film Festival in Competition!

"Floating Landscape" (by Carol Lai miu-suet, Hong Kong/NHK)
Venice Film Festival announced the full line-up of the 60th Mostra Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica on July 31.
"Floating Landscape" co-produced by Ms Carol Lai miu-suet (Hong Kong) and NHK (Japan), is officially invited in competition at the Venice Film Festival. (The 60th Venice Film Festival is held from August 27th through September 6th.)
"Floating Landscape" is a beautiful love story between a girl who travels to find a certain landscape which her late lover painted with her hand, and a boy who attracted by her secretly, located Qingdao, China.
This film is the second future of Director, Ms Carol Lai miu-suet, after her first feature, "Glass Tears," invited in the Directors' Fortnight in Cannes Film Festival 2001. The leading actors: Karena Lam, "July Rhapsody" (2002), and Liu Ye, "The Little Chinese Seamstress" (2002), "Postmen in the Mountains" (1999).

2003/08/12

NHK's co-producing film wins 3 awards at Cannes!
"OSAMA" by Siddiq Barmak

* Camera d'Or Special Mention
* CICAE Award
* Cannes Junior

At the 56th annual Cannes International Film Festival, NHK's co-producing film, "OSAMA" (Directed by Siddiq Barmak, Afghanistan/NHK) won Camera d'Or Special Mention. (Camera d'Or is an award given to a director who took the first feature film.) Barmak also won CICAE Award and Cannes Junior 2003 at Cannes.

* The Taliban regime banned entertainments such as TV, music and even cinema so that Afghan people could not watch not make them. Under the new formation of Afghanistan, NHK supported the first Afghan film production after almost 20 years absence of filmmaking.

Siddiq Barmak was born in Panjshir, Afghanistan, on September 7, 1962. He got his M.A degree in cinema direction from the Moscow University in the year 1987.
He has written a few screenplays and has made a few short films in Afghanistan. He was the manager of the Afghan Film governmental organization from 1992 to 1996 and after the establishment of the new government he was once again chosen to manage the Afghan film organization. All his works were banned during the time of the Taliban.

A 12-year-old girl and her mother work in a hospital. But the Taliban dismisses all the people working there and closes its gate. Under the Taliban regime, no women can get out of their houses without a legal companion (without any member of their male family). If they out without accompanists, they will be punished. To support the family, the girl changes the appearance to look like a boy and gets a job at the drink stand.

2003/02/19

Sundance/NHK International Filmmakers Award Winners!

NHK and Sundance Institute announced the winners of 2003 Sundance/NHK International Filmmakers Award on 25 January at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah.

Winners are:
Mai Tominaga - 100% Pure Wool (Japan)
Yesim Ustaoglu - WAITING FOR THE CLOUDS (Europe)
Juan Pablo Rebella and Pablo Stoll - WHISKY (Latin America)
Michael Kang - THE MOTEL (the United States)

Adding these 4 new winners, the Award recipients are 28 in total.