The prize in the Sundance/NHK International Filmmakers Award is what every struggling filmmaker needs: $10,000 toward the making of the movie, and guaranteed broadcast rights on the Japanese broadcaster NHK.

Three finalists in each of four regions - Europe, Latin America, Japan and the United States - were announced Tuesday. The four winners will be announced during the 2008 Sundance Film Festival next month.

Here are the finalists:

• Europe: Janez Burger's "Circus Fantasticus" (Slovenia), Radu Jude's "The Happiest Girl In the World" (Romania) and Jasmila Zbanic's "On The Path" (Bosnian/Herzegovina).
• Latin America: Alejandro Fernandez Almendras' "Huacho" (Chile), Paz Fabrega's "Agua Fria de Mar" (Costa Rica) and Juliana Rojas & Marco Dutra's "Hard Labor" (Brazil).
• United States: Braden King's "Here," Jake Mahaffy's "Free in Deed" and James Ponsoldt's "Refresh, Refresh."
• Japan: Akira Ichinose's "Lamplight and Shadows," Yukihiko Goto's "Three Cold Days and Four Warm Days" and Aiko Nagatsu's "Apoptosis."

Past winners of the NHK award include Walter Salles' "Central Station," Miranda July's "Me and You and Everyone We Know," and Sherman Alexie's script for "Smoke Signals."