Frank Benitez is young and talented filmmaker, who made it to ÉCU 2012 Official Selection with his film “Minute 200″. This interview was finished couple of weeks before the festival.
By Alexander Acosta Osorio
Q: Where does the inspiration for your short come from?
A: Usually my inspiration comes from places I visit or just an image that sticks in my memory. In this case it was that of a house in my hometown, a dilapidated house that had a sign on the facade whic...
It's about a quarter past four on the third day of the film festival and, due to a slight delay in scheduling, director Alan Arrivée is fielding questions about his film, The Man at the Door, from the audience members assembled outside the Action Christine cinema.
Ostensibly about the intrusion of an apparently threatening Mexican immigrant into the tightly locked home of a recently separated American woman, for Arrivée the film is a metaphor for relations between Mexico and ...
It's
about a quarter to one on the second day of the festival and Pablo Tourrenc has
just revealed to a room full of school children that Kid Cudi is habitually
four or five hours late to turn up on the set of his video shoots. This is a
fact that they will keep with them and treasure, spreading it around the
playground like a bad case of measles.
Pablo's been taking us through the basics of
budgeting, scheduling and on-set parking - with a helpful reminder to always be
prepared fo...
ÉCU 2012 FILM FESTIVAL DAY ONE
It’s nearly half past six on the evening of the first day of the seventh European Independent Film Festival. Strains of smoky jazz, a snaking baritone sax line, filters through from the trio set up in the festival foyer, making its way to the little marquee where, even now, film-makers are assembling for the welcome glass of wine or vitamin water. Amongst the group festival president, Scott Hillier,
will later refer to as a “crazed bunch ...
Upset that you cannot attend the ÉCU? We have found a solution to your sorrow by bringing our premier LIVE to your home! No matter where you are, tomorrow evening at 8 PM ECU’s premier will be streaming live on our website. Make sure you tap into this event in person or online!!
Pas content de ne pas pouvoir assister à ÉCU? Nous avons trouvé une solution à votre malheur en amenant la première chez vous en LIVE! Peu importe l’endroit où vous vivez, demain soir à 20h00 ...
As we count down to ÉCU 2012, we decided to sit down with the directors of last year’s Film of the Festival, 27m2, Gabriella Cserhati and Fabien Lartigue and discuss their experience with ÉCU, then and now, and their thoughts on independent filmmaking.
What was it like participating in ÉCU 2011?
Fabien: It was very cool.
Was this your first festival?
Gabriella: For this film it was the first festival, yeah. It was great, we didn’t believe it. Actually we were so su...
Nikola Chapelle: The role of sound, from pre-production to post-production, is a vital aspect of filmmaking and Nikola Chapelle is here to help in a specifically designed workshop! It will focus on good quality sound mixing to boost the overall impression of a film and provide useful tips and suggestions. So do you dream of establishing a strong director and sound mixer relationship? If so, this workshop is not to be missed! Be sure to head to the Grand Salle at the Action Christine on Sunday ...
Pablo Tourrenc: Has the whole process of filming and the production required to lift a film off the ground ever seemed difficult and daunting? Well Pablo Tourrenc is an expert and is here to advise you all about “Hands on Production”! He will give a general overview of what is needed to make a film and the craftsmanship of production, working from the initial script to the completed film. With a host of international and famed clients for music videos, documentaries, TV shows as well as f...
ÉCU is proud to announce the scripts that have been shortlisted for our “Much More Than A Script Competition 2012”. We have selected screenplays from two categories: feature film and short film. Congratulations to:
Feature Film Scripts:
Das Mädchen im Kokon – Katja Blaser & Wolfgang Weigl
Sole – Allee Pitaccio
Touch – Jasmine Yuen-Carrucan
Gibran – Grace Shalhoub Yazbek
Time of the Snikers – Maksymilian Nowicki
Short Film Scripts:
Caba...
Terror Film Festival is a bad-azz international film festival that offers cash prizes, a world-class Screenwriting Competition, and the coveted Claw Awards. And it's all presented by the genre diva fashionista herself, Princess Horror! www.TerrorFilmFestival.net
...
"Over A Cheever", a dvd compilation of four films made between 2008-2011 inspired by the life and work of celebrated American writer John Cheever, is now available for purchase at filmbaby: http://www.filmbaby.com/films/6009
The films included in the 53-min. compilation have played in over 70 international festivals and won awards in the U.S. and Canada.
The titles are:
"Project Ion" (2008/11 mins.)
"The Catalyst" (2009/13.5 mins.)
"A...
ÉCU's iPhone app is now live. To get started, download the Festival Genius iPhone app here: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/festival-genius/id474547590 and select ÉCU - The European Independent Film Festival from the list. If you already have the Festival Genius app, tap "more" and then "change festival" to see the list of available fests.
L'application ÉCU est maintenant disponible. Pour en profiter, téléchargez l'app Festival Genius pour iPhone ici: http://itu...
ÉCU – The European Independent Film Festival is delighted to announce the Official Selection. ÉCU 2012 will showcase 100 films from 33 countries on the 30th and 31st of March and 1st of April in Paris, France.
European Dramatic Feature (5)
Iron Doors 3D - Germany
On the Inside - Germany
Labirent - Turkey
Women and Children - United Kingdom
Everywhere and Nowhere - United Kingdom
European Dramatic Short (25)
Useful - Belgium
...
Le Ballon Rouge, Albert Lamorisse, 1956
by Josie Ainscough
Le Ballon Rouge is a short, beautifully made film shot in colour, which tells the story of a little boy who finds a bright red balloon tied to a lamppost. He unties it, and finds out that it has a mind of its own. The balloon follows him around, bobbling along behind him, on the bus to school, even getting him into trouble with his head teacher. A group of bullies, jealous of the boy and his friendly balloon, chase them thr...
“The difference in European independent cinema is that it doesn’t leave anyone indifferent”
Interview: 29th of January, 2012
We interviewed Scott Hillier, a film and documentary director, producer, and President of ÉCU- The European Independent Film Festival .
By Mariana Castaño (Paris)
Scott Hillier is a “storyteller”. “Storyteller” is the word he uses himself, in a manner of English that he speaks at the speed of light. His eyes and hands move quickly an...
Les 7 Parnassiens (www.parnassiens.com) is one of many cinemas in Montparnasse, yet it is one of the most authentic and distinctive cinemas of them all. It offers the advantage of completely original programming, offering rare films not to be found anywhere else in the area. Les 7 Parnassiens can proudly boast a tradition of offering unknown works and independent films from all over the world to the general public.
The cinema on Boulevard du Montparnasse was the first in the area to sh...
All the Misses in the office/ Miss who?/ Who is Miss Denmark? The ÉCU office is a cultural mix of people who run in and out every day. That is why names of ÉCU interns can be difficult to remember sometimes. Here is Marie's aka Miss Denmark story.
...
Kuala Lumpur International Short Film Festival30 January – 1 February 2012The Kuala Lumpur International Short Film Festival (KLIS) is the first and only short film festival in Malaysia and it is based in the metropolitan city of Kuala Lumpur.The Kuala Lumpur International Short Film Festival (KLIS) showcase the shorts by filmmakers from around the world to an audience of film executives and buyers, journalists, film fans and filmmakers. Along with screenings, there are seminars, workshops and...
VIEW AWARD 2012 | International contest of animated shortsThe 2012 VIEW AWARD’s are ready to come out in full! Breaking free from its international tradition, the 2012 VIEW AWARD’s are opening up their doors to new themes, subjects, and a wider audience of contestants!The VIEW AWARD is promoted by VIEW Conference, the premiere international event in Italy on Computer Graphics, Interactive Techniques, Digital Cinema, Medical Imaging, 3D Animation, Gaming and VFX.VIEW 2012, from 16th to 19th O...
"Mary and Bill" is a new submission to ÉCU 2012. A documentary following two elderly athletes, Mary, a 90 year old triathlete, and Bill, an 83 year old high jumper. Mary has just broken her leg while down hill skiing and Bill, who smoked for 45 years, is recovering from a heart attack. Through their amazing commitment, both Mary and Bill prove that age is just a number.
"Mary and Bill" est un ...
1. Hi Jordan! We’ve never met but your film “Argo” was an official selection here at ÉCU in 2007. Tell us a bit about your new film, “The Sea Is All I Know”…Well it’s a film about love. The film stars Academy Award winner Melissa Leo [The Fighter] and Peter Gerety. It follows an estranged couple as they come to terms with their adult, terminally ill daughter’s request to help her die with dignity.2. You chose to avoid doing the whole film festival circuit in favour of a run at t...
fa_embedPlayer({vid:50073,w:560,h:312,l:'aHR0cDovL3d3dy5maWxtYW5uZXguY29tL21vdmllL2N1LW9mZmljZS1lcGlzb2RlLXR3by1maXJzdC1kYXkvMjk2NTE-'})Watch more on Film AnnexIn our latest episode of The ÉCU Office, interns Marta and Bernice relive their first experiences at the office. Their bizarre tales will make you either want to throw yourself at ÉCU’s doorstep and beg to be an intern, or run away slightly confused… Will our interviewer make it out with her sanity intact? WARNING: This episode is b...
First off, apologies for the delay on updates via Fest21... Its been a busy few years and running a festival as a one-man-army is no easy task! Now though, heading into our 4th year, I'm happy to announce that we are bigger and better with more to offer at the fantastic underground festival - the Yellow Fever Independent Film Festival.
Kicking off in Sept from the 7th - 9th, our 4th year see's us settle in the beautiful Strand Cinema of East Belfast. Northern Irelands oldest cinema and ho...
