ÉCU The European Independent Film Festival
 | |
| Location | Paris |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2006 |
| Awards received | Best European Independent Film |
| Language | English and French |
| Website | http://www.ecufilmfestival.com/ |
ÉCU - The European Independent Film Festival is an annual international film festival dedicated to independent cinema. Held in Paris, France, it was created in 2006 by Scott Hillier. The festival is dedicated to the discovery and promotion of the best independent film making talents from Europe and beyond, showcasing films that demonstrate quality, innovation, and creativity in both form and content. These qualities are judged in 14 categories, 7 of which are open to non-European filmmakers (from the Americas, Australia, Africa, and Asia), and compete for 24 awards. Jury members come from all around the globe and have a variety of backgrounds. The founder and president of ÉCU, Scott Hillier, is a Paris-based Australian filmmaker. He gained international recognition from his strong cinematography, editing, writing producing and directing portfolio and served as Director of Photography on the documentary ‘Twin Towers’ which won an Academy Award in 2003.
The 10th edition of ÉCU – The European Independent Film Festival was held in Paris, France on April 10–12, 2015 at Cinema Les 7 Parnassiens, 75014 Paris and a special screening of Roseville followed by a workshop with the director, Martin Makariev, at Cinema Le Lincoln, 75008 Paris.
As well as the film screenings, festival attendees had the opportunity to participate in an array of workshops, as well as the ‘Meet-the-Directors‘ discussions in which the audience posed questions directly to the filmmakers. There was also a full program of live music hosted by ÉCU’s partner Access Film-Music.
| Category | Winner |
|---|---|
| Best European Independent Film 2015 | Here Lies - Duncan Ward (United Kingdom) |
| Best European Independent Dramatic Short 2015 | The Anklet - Guillaume Levil (France) |
| Best European Independent Dramatic Feature 2015 | Roseville - Martin Makariev (Bulgaria) |
| Best European Independent Documentary 2015 | Gazi to Gezi – A Stones Throw Away - Ross Domoney (United Kingdom) |
| Best European Independent Animation 2015 | Mend And Make Do - Bexie Bush (United Kingdom) |
| Best European Independent Experimental Film 2015 | Out of Reach (Rain Night) - Pablo Diartinez (Belgium) |
| Best European Independent Music Video 2015 | Entomophobia - Robin Rippmann (United Kingdom) |
| Best Independent Comedy 2015 | De Smet - Thomas Baerten & Wim Geudens (Belgium / Netherlands) |
| Best Non-European Independent Dramatic Short 2015 | Catching Fireflies - Lee Whittaker (USA) |
| Best Non-European Independent Dramatic Feature 2015 | Flytrap - Stephen David Brooks (USA) |
| Best Non-European Independent Documentary 2015 | Trip Along Exodus - Hind Shoufani (Syrian Arab Republic/Lebanon) |
| Best Student Film 2015 | Exit Neverland - Chadi Abdul-Karim (Denmark) |
| Best Short Script 2015 | Long Road Home - Richard Flynn (United Kingdom) |
| Best Feature Script 2015 | The Competitors - Ruth Greenberg (United Kingdom) |
| Best Actor 2015 | Roseville - Kalin Vrachanski (Bulgaria) |
| Best Actress 2015 | Sophie at the Races - Siobhán O’Kelly (Ireland) |
| Best Editing 2015 | Being an Angel - Luigi Abanto Varese (Spain) |
| Best Cinematography 2015 | 127 - Leigh Elford (New Zealand) |
| Best Director 2015 | Before the Bomb - Tannaz Hazemi (USA) |
| Special Jury Mention 2015 | Oh! My Princess - Heewook SA (Republic of Korea) |
| Special Jury Mention 2015 | The Barbiers Blade - Hakan Can (Germany) |
| Special Jury Mention 2015 | Touch - Andrew Richardson (United Kingdom) |
| Audience Award 2015 | The Dandelion - Sophie-Clémentine Dubois (Belgium) |
| The Ahmed Khedr Award for Excellence in Arab Filmmaking 2015 | Amongst - Mohammed Alsalman (Saudi Arabia) |
| Excellence in Women’s Filmmaking | Final Stroke - Anne Chlosta (Germany) |
Workshops
During the festival, workshops available to all attendees are conducted by some of the most talented professionals in the film making industry. This unique opportunity gives a chance to the public to get into film making and to the enthusiasts to improve their craft.
Music
ÉCU is a strong supporter of musicians. Along with the usual film festival activities, live music can be heard throughout the entirety of the weekend.
Meet the director session
After each screening, the audience will have the opportunity to meet the directors and participate in a Question and Answer session. Here they will be able to directly ask questions to the filmmakers and to discuss in detail the ups and downs faced when creating a film.
ÉCU-on-the-road
[1] Every year, the festival travels around the world making sure the “Official Selection” directors and films are made known. All this has been possible through the help of over 50 (and quickly growing) partner festivals, cultural centers and film commissions around the globe. During these events, some of the “Official Selection” films are screened, which furthers the size of the directors audience.
ÉCU-on-the-road 2014/2015
| Place | date |
|---|---|
| Naperville Independent Film Festival, US | September 12–19, 2015 |
| Arkadia Short Film Festival, Romania | July 3–5, 2015 |
| ÉCU-in-Viseu, Portugal | June, 2015 |
| Cabriolet Film Festival, Lebanon | May 29–31, 2015 |
| ÉCU-in-Cannes, France | May 13–24, 2015 |
| ÉCU-in-São Paulo, Brazil | January 29 – February 4, 2015 |
| ÉCU-in-Berlin, Germany | January 14–15, 2015 |
| VGIK International Festival, Russia | November 17–23, 2014 |
| Aesthetica Short Film Festival, United Kingdom | November 6–9, 2014 |
| Aarhus Independent Pixels, Denmark | October 17–19, 2014 |
| Tyrolean Independent Film Festival, Austria | October 9–12, 2014 |
| Naperville Independent Film Festival, US | September 13–20, 2014 |
| Victoria Film Festival, Romania | June 26–29, 2014 |
| Mashrome Film Festival, Italy | June 3–6, 2014 |
| Cabriolet Film Festival, Lebanon | May 30 - June 1, 2014 |
| ÉCU-in-Cannes, France | May 14–25, 2014 |
| Festival del Cinema Indipendente, Provincia di Foggia, Italy | March 29 - April 5, 2014 |
| ÉCU-in-Rio de Janeiro special event, Brazil | March 18–23, 2014 |
| ÉCU-in-Athens special event, Greece | February 17–19, 2014 |
| Luxor Egyptian & European Film Festival, Egypt | January 19–25, 2014 |
Categories
The festival comprises both European and non-European films.
European Categories
- Dramatic Feature
- Dramatic Short
- Documentary
- Animated Film
- Music Video
- Experimental Film
- Comedy Film
Non-European Categories
- Dramatic Feature
- Dramatic Short
- Documentary
Worldwide Categories
- Student Film
- Much More than a Script Competition
- Arab Section
Past Editions
ÉCU 2015
The 10th Annual European Independent Film Festival took place from April 10 to 12 at Cinéma Les 7 Parnassiens, 75014 Paris. During the 3 days screening, it showed 84 films from 32 countries and then came up with the award-winning list. This year's "ÉCU-on-the-Road", ÉCU went to São Paulo, Brazil, from January 29 to February 4; and Berlin, Germany, from January 14 to 15. Each of the event showcased more than 20 independent films.
| Category | Winner |
|---|---|
| Best European Independent Film 2015 | Here Lies - Duncan Ward (UK) |
| Best European Independent Dramatic Short 2015 | The Anklet - Guillaume Levil (France) |
| Best European Independent Dramatic Feature 2015 | Roseville - Martin Makariev (Bulgaria) |
| Best European Independent Documentary 2015 | Gazi To Gezi- A Stones Throw Away - Ross Domoney (UK) |
| Best European Independent Animation | Mend and Make do - Bexie Bush (United Kingdom) |
| Best European Independent Experimental Film | Out of Reach (Rain Night) - Pablo Diartinez & Erik Parys (Belgium) |
| Best European Independent Music Video | Entomophobia – Robin Rippmann (UK) |
| Best European Independent Comedy | De Smet - Thomas Baerten & Wim Geudens (Belgium/ Netherlands) |
| Best non-European Independent Dramatic Short 2015 | Catching Fireflies - Lee Whittaker (USA) |
| Best non-European Independent Dramatic Feature 2015 | Flytrap - Stephen David Brooks (USA) |
| Best non-European Independent Documentary 2015 | Trip Along Exodus- Hind Shoufani (Syrian Arab Republic/ Lebanon) |
| Best Student Film | Exit Neverland - Chadi Abdul-Karim (Denmark) |
| Best Short Script | Long Road Home - Richard Flynn (UK) |
| Best Feature Script | The Competitors - Ruth Greenberg (UK) |
| Best Actor | Roseville - Kalin Vrachanski (Bulgaria) |
| Best Actress | Sophie at the Races - Siobhán O'Kelly (Ireland) |
| Best Editing | Being an Angel - Luigi Abanto Varese (Spain) |
| Best Cinematography | 127 - Leigh Elford (New Zealand) |
| Best Director 2015 | Before the Bomb - Tannaz Hazemi (USA) |
| Special Jury Mention | Oh! My Princess - Heewook SA (Republic of Korea) |
| Special Jury Mention | The Barbiers Blade - Hakan Can (Germany) |
| Special Jury Mention | Touch - Andrew Richardson (UK) |
| Audience Award | The Dandelion - Sophie-Clémentine Dubois (Belgium) |
| The Ahmed Khedr Award for Excellence in Arab Filmmaking | Almost - Mohammed Alsalman (Saudi Arabia) |
| Excellence in Women's Filmmaking | Final Stroke - Anne Chlosta (Germany) |
ÉCU 2014
The 9th Annual European Independent Film Festival took place from April 4 to 6 at Cinéma Les 7 Parnassiens, 75014 Paris. As well as the film screenings, festival attendees had the opportunity to participate in an array of workshops as well as a series of ‘Meet the Directors‘ panel discussions, in which the audience pose questions directly to the filmmakers. There was also a full program of live music hosted by ÉCU’s partner Access Film-Music. Personalities from cinema, television and the arts, as well as filmmakers and film industry professionals, mixed with a cinema-loving public craving the energy, free spiritedness and innovation that embodies independent film.
| Category | Winner |
|---|---|
| Best European Independent Film 2014 | 216 Months - Valentin and Fréderic Potier (France) |
| Best European Independent Dramatic Short 2014 | Blind Squad - Vlad Fenesan (Romania) |
| Best European Independent Dramatic Feature 2014 | The Enemy Within - Yorgos Tsemberopoulos (Greece) |
| Best European Independent Documentary 2014 | Sickfuchpeople - Juri Rechinsky (Austria) |
| Best European Independent Animation | Drag Me - Nikos Kellis (Greece) |
| Best European Independent Experimental Film | Second Wind - Sergey Tsyss (Russia) |
| Best European Independent Music Video | Sandra Kolstad – Run Away - Yenni Lee (Norway) |
| Best European Independent Comedy | Great - Andreas Henn (Germany) |
| Best non-European Independent Dramatic Short 2014 | Humor - Tal Zagreba (Israel) |
| Best non-European Independent Dramatic Feature 2014 | The Preacher's Daughter - Michelle Mower (USA) |
| Best non-European Independent Documentary 2014 | Not Anymore: A Story of Revolution - Matthew VanDyke (USA) |
| Best Student Film | Deserted (Israel) - Yoav Hornung (Israel) |
| Best Short Script | Before The Bomb - Tannaz Hazemi and James Grimaldi (Iran) |
| Best Feature Script | Yellow Dragon and the Red Fox - Anthony Etherington (UK) |
| Best Actor | Say Nothing - Ed Stoppard (UK) |
| Best Actress | Chains of Love - Lotta Doll (Germany) |
| Best Editing | My Past Life - Sebastian Lindblad (Sweden) |
| Best Cinematography | Portraits of Mistresses - Jean-François Hensgens (France) |
| Best Director 2014 | Jiminy - Arthur Molard (France) |
| Special Jury Mention | Still Got Lives - Jan-Gerrit Seyler (Germany) |
| Special Jury Mention | Closed Box - Riccardo Salvetti, Gianfranco Boattini (Italy) |
| Special Jury Mention | You Can’t Write a Letter - Guillaume Levil (France) |
| Audience Award | Battlecock! - Ben Mallaby (UK) |
| The Ahmed Khedr Award for Excellence in Arab Filmmaking | 7 Hours - Farah Alhashim (Lebanon) |
ÉCU 2013
ÉCU 2013- The 8th Annual European Independent Film Festival was taking place from March 29 to March 31 and showcased 109films from 35 countries. The festival was located at the principal cinema Les 7 Parnassiens, film screenings and professional workshops about screenwriting, directing, editing, acting, and sound mixing were being held at Cinéma Action Christine. The Arab Section was held at Cinéma Lincoln.
| Category | Winner |
|---|---|
| Best European Independent Film | Othello - Hammudi Al-Rahmoun Font (Spain) |
| Best Independent Experimental Film | Kore - Eric Dinkian (France) |
| Best European Independent Comedy Film | Island Queen - Ben Mallaby (UK) |
| Best Student Film | Martha Must Fly - Ma’ayan Rypp (Israel) |
| Best Independent Music Video | I've Only Just Begun - Elias Koskimies (Finland) |
| Best Independent Animation | I am Tom Moody - Ainslie Henderson (UK) |
| Best European Independent Documentary | Moving Gracefully Towards the Exit - Jean-Bernard Andro, Patrice Regnier ( France //USA) |
| Best European Independent Dramatic Short | 82 - Calum Macdiarmid (UK) |
| Best European Independent Dramatic Feature | Girl Shaped Love Drug - Simon Powell (UK) |
| Best Non-European Independent Documentary | Cavedigger - Jeffrey Karoff (USA) |
| Best Non-European Independent Dramatic Feature | Motivational Growth - Don Thacker (USA) |
| Best Non-European Independent Dramatic Short | Buzkashi Boys - Sam French (Afghanistan // USA) |
| Ahmed Khedr Award for Excellence in Arab Filmmaking | A Tempo: The 3rd Act - Maria Abdel Karim (Lebanon) |
| Best Short Script | This Vehicle Has Been Checked for Sleeping Children - John Burdeaux (USA) |
| Best Feature Script | The Last Waltz of Vienna - Brian Weakland (USA) |
| The European Youth Excellence Award in Filmmaking | A Mile In Our Shoes - MFC Study Support Centre (UK) |
| Best Editing | Voices - Hussain Al-Riffaei (Bahrain) |
| Best Cinematography | The Cart - Natasha Novik (Russia) |
| Best Actor | HIOB - Uwe Preuss |
| Best Actress | Othello - Ann M. Perelló |
| Special Jury Mentions | MYRA - Caroline Burns Cooke |
| Best Director | Good Night - Muriel d’Ansembourg |
| Audience Award | I AM ELEVEN - Genevieve Bailey (Australia) |
| Special Jury Mentions | We Are Not Slaves - Ainur Askarov (Russia) |
| Special Jury Mentions | EAT - Moritz Krämer (Germany) |
| Special Jury Mentions | Were you the last man to see Hitler? - Caroline von der Tann (Germany // Italy |
Press
- http://www.france24.com/en/20110402-en-culture-europeanindependent-film-festival-scott-hillier-catherine-nicholson
- http://www.irishfilmboard.ie/irish_film_industry/news/Charlie_Casanova_to_have_European_premiere_at_ECU_Festival_in_Paris/1593
- http://www.parisetudiant.com/etudiant/sortie/festival-europeen-du-film-independant-2.html
- http://hungryeyemagazine.com/hungry-eye-newseuropean-independentfilm-festival-toshowcase-2011-winning-filmsin-tbilisi-georgia/
- http://futureinfilm.com/blog/european-independent-film-festival