The Sundance Institute has selected 12 projects for the annualScreenwriters Lab taking place from Jan 13-18 at the Sundance Resort in Utah.

The five-day writer's workshop gives independent screenwriters theopportunity to work intensively on their feature film scripts with the supportof established writers.

The selected projects are: Kit Hui's A Breath Away (USA); Rolin Jones' The IntelligentDesign Of Jenny Chow (USA);Fernando Eimbcke and Paula Markovitch's Lake Tahoe (Mexico); Kirsten Johnson's My Habibi (USA): Greg Harrison's The RadioactiveBoy Scout (USA); andCary Fukunaga's Sin Nombre (USA).

The list continues with Briar Grace-Smith and Armagan Ballantyne'sThe Strength Of Water (NewZealand); So Yong Kim's Treeless Mountain (USA/South Korea); Milford Thomas' Uncloudy Day (USA): Carter Smith's Warm (USA): Victoria Mahoney's Yelling ToThe Sky (USA): and EranMerav's Zion And His Brother (Israel).

"The search for humanconnection and family are themes explored with humour, pathos, and originalityin many of the projects at the January 2006 Screenwriters Lab," MichelleSatter, director of Sundance Institute's Feature Film Programme, said.

"Along withoutstanding work from the United States, we are very pleased to be includingexciting new independent voices from the Middle East, Asia and Latin America.The January Lab is the first component of Sundance's long-term commitment tothese projects, which we have every hope will become distinctive and memorablefilms."