Sundance announces NHK, short film winners

The winning film-makers and projects are: Amat Escalante (pictured), Heli, from Mexico; Andrey Zvyagintsev, Elena, from Russia; Daisuke Yamaoka, The Wonderful Lives At Asahigaoka(written with Yugo Eto) from Japan; and Benh Zeitlin, Beasts Of The Southern Wild (written with Lucy Alibar) from the US.

Each winner receives approximately $100,000 and a guarantee from NHK to purchase the Japanese television broadcast rights. Awards will be handed out at the Sundance awards ceremony on January 31.

Sundance Institute staff will work closely with the winners throughout the year, providing creative and strategic support through the development, financing and production of their films.

The international jury included John Carney, Michael Lehmann, Rebecca Miller, Jose Rivera, Elena Soarez and Wesley Strick, Masato Harada, Shin-ichi Kobayashi and Bong-Ou Lee.

Meanwhile in the shorts competition, Drunk History: Douglass & Lincolndirected by Jeremy Konner and written by Derek Waters has won the jury prize in short film-making.

The jury prize for international short film-making went to Six Dollar Fifty Man directed by Mark Albiston and Louis Sutherland.

Honorable Mentions went to Born Sweet by Cynthia Wade, Can We Talk? by Jim Owen, Dock Ellis & The LSD No-No by James Blagden, How I Met Your Father by Alex Montoya, Rob And Valentyna In Scotland by Eric Lynne, Young Love by Ariel Kleiman, and Quadrangle from Amy Grappell.