Big thanks to our partners OPEN CINEMA Film Festival in Russia who hosted ÉCU Special Screening of Berlinoises,The Return (Kthimi), A Lost and Found Box of Human Sensations and Zoltan: The Hungarian Gangster of Love the end of August. Here  is a little collage from the evening. /// Un grand merci a nos partenaires OPEN CINEMA Film Festival en Russie qui ont organise la projection des films ÉCU- "Berlinoises", "A Lost and Found Box of Human Sensations", "The Retur...

This week ÉCU is spotlighting Isabella Ferrari, an Italian actress and Jury member of the International Jury Prize “Luigi De Laurentiis” at the 69 edition of the Venice Film Festival, the oldest film festivals in the world. Isabella is also one of the most beloved actresses of “auteur Italian independent cinema”, highly esteemed by film buffs. Isabella Ferrari was born in Ponte dell’Oglio, near to Piacenza, on March 31st, 1964. Over the years she has worked in Italy and abroad, w...

American Foundation for Bulgaria has the pleasure to invite you to participate in the selection for the program of the 8-th Students’ Film Festival EARLY BIRD! “Early Bird” is open for national and European participation. All students from European universities/schools, who have not still completed their education in film/tv are invited to enter for competition fiction, documentary or animation student films produced in the school. The films sent for selection m...

He was born in August 1912. At twelve years-old, he became a paper boy, at seventeen, a criminal reporter for The New York Graphic, at twenty, a ghost writer, at thirty, a decorated soldier. Scorsese said of him that “when you respond to a Fuller film, what you’re responding to is cinema at its essence. Motion as emotion. Fuller’s pictures move convulsively, violently. Just like life when it’s being lived with genuine passion”. This week, we celebrate Samuel Fuller’s centennial. ...

“BAFTA Rocliffe New Writing Forum” in London is Now Open for Submissions!! The forum, now in its twelfth year, is a platform for new writing and a networking event that has had huge significance for lots of career starters in the film and T V industries.The final deadline for submissions is 20 September, so hurry up!//"BAFTA Rocliffe New Writing Forum " à Londres est maintenant ouvert aux propositions! Le forum en est à sa douzième année, est une plate-forme pour la nouvel...

Tony Scott best known for Top Gun, Beverly Hills Cop andEnemy of the State was found dead after jumping from California bridge. Rest in peace, our hearts go out to the Scott family. We have lost one of the greatest directors of our time. ...

SPOTLIGHT OF THE WEEK: Mel Stuart   Mel Stuart This week the spotlight is on Mel Stuart, the documentarian and filmmaker who has recently died at the age 83. (Image of Mel Stuart) Mel Stuart was a celebrated figure in the television and film industry, most notably known for bringing the fantasy world of Roald Dahls’s “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” to the big screen. He began his career working for CBS news as one of the resea...

This week we’re spotlighting Lena Dunham, a New York filmmaker who has made her debut into mainstream cinema with her indie comedy “Tiny Furniture”. (Image of Lena Dunham in the TV series “Girls”) Lena Dunham seems to be the girl that everyone is talking about at the minute. She has recently released the critically acclaimed series “Girls”, which has hit the roof in popularity and gained fans worldwide.  The show is about a group of twenty-something year old girls wh...

This week the spotlight is on Chris Marker, a French avant-garde director known for his controversial documentaries, who has just died at the age of 91. He steered away from the conventional norms of Hollywood cinema and opted for an experimental approach to his filmmaking. He was the innovator of the essay film, a now accepted genre which unites documentary, narrative and personal reflection. (Image of Chris Marker) He was one the industry’s most mysterious filmmakers who wo...

How Are You Spending Your Last Month of Summer? What To Do In Paris In August     August is vacation month in France, and although most Parisians are off visiting other beautiful places, some of us are still here. Whether Paris is your destination location, or you just decided to suck around for the month, try and profit from all the vacant seats in the metro and empty lines. Here are some great things to do for the month of August. have fun!   ...

The action camera market, previously dominated by GoPro now has new products pouring in from Sony, Contour, and JVC that are smaller in size and action-ready than ever before. The film industry has recently discovered the value of the smaller, more convenient DSLR cameras, which enable shooting from small cramped spaces or compromising locations – for the action camera crowd, however, size has always been a non-negotiable. When free-skiing powder in Utah, snowboarding in Verbier...

Scott Hillier, President of ÉCU – The European Independent Film Festival and Oscar award-winning independent filmmaker is offering a credit on his latest documentary in exchange for transcription and translation work (Arabic – English). We have been shooting in Libya and have 10 interviews (maximum 30 mins long). This is an unpaid position but you will gain a valuable credit of which you can use in your future filmmaking career opportunities or job prospects. This is a heartf...

The Champs-Elysees shakes with the pounding of hundreds of hooves as French soldiers march their horses past the Arc de Triomph. The strumming of guitars and pounding of drums flows through every street of Paris and the sky above the Eiffel Tower sparkles with red fireworks. Bastille Day commemorates the storming of Bastille prison and the paradigm shift in French society. Known as La Fête Nationale in France, the fourteenth of July is a symbol of the great revolution that forever changed g...

Last week in the Radisson Hotel, Galway, the programme for Ireland’s premier film festival, the Galway Film Fleadh, was unveiled. Among festival staff, industry professionals and film entusiasts, Festival Programmer Gar O’Brien said at the launch “This year is without doubt a banner year for Irish film…alongside the usual mix of the best in world cinema and documentaries”. The 24th edition of the festival, which takes place from 10-15th July, has a line-up that includes 1...

The ÉCU team enjoyed a night of fantastic indie films and delicious sushi at the “All Senses” event at the Palais de Toyko on Friday night. Fashionistas and film enthusiasts alike flooded onto the patio to enjoy a drink (or two) and take in the stunning view of the Eiffel Tour. We shot an interview with Vicki Mather, recipient of the Best Student Film at ÉCU 2011 for “Stanley Pickle”, as she shared her upcoming plans, creative direction, and thoughts on developing technolo...

IN THE PALACE Film Festival is the first and only festival of its kind in Bulgaria. Located in the quaint and romantic town of Balchik, the festival was first established in 2003.  The title of the festival originated from its venue, an architechural park, called "The Palace." "The Palace" was summer residence of the British princess and Romanian Queen, Marie of Edinburgh and constructed especially for her upon request. Initially beginning as a forum predominantly fo...

The countdown has started, only five days to go until an event with one of the biggest media coverage in the world begins. The 2012 Cannes International Film Festival will commence May 16th, and conclude on May 27t. Our team from ÉCU will be there bringing our independent flavour, so be sure not to miss this prestigious annual event. The Cannes Film festival is an excellent opportunity for ÉCU to bring to light both our strong commitment towards quality cinema, our skilled filmmakers,...

Check out our awesome afterparty video from this year's festival at Les Voûtes, Saint-Paul in Paris. Regardez l'incroyable video de l'afterparty de cette année aux Voûtes, Saint-Paul, Paris, France. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0lQOjhFWrvE&feature=youtu.be  ...

Zack Parker and ‘Scalene’ continue to ride CFF success Two decades spent working in and around movies is beginning to pay dividends for filmmaker Zack Parker, and he credits the recognition he received at the 2011 Cincinnati Film Festival for helping to push his film Scalene to greater heights. Parker was named Best Director and Scalene Best Narrative Feature at the Cincinnati Film Festival in September, and coupled with his Grand Jury Prize at Dances With Films in Los Angeles earlier...

For ÉCU – The European Independent Film Festival three days in Paris is just not enough. Every year our festival travels around the world making sure our “Official Selection” directors and films are made known. This follows our commitment to cultivate the new and inspiring talent that we come across. Last year was quite a busy year for us. ÉCU traveled around the globe to 17 countries showing the very best of its independent films. This is made possible through the help...