The European Independent Film Festival Wraps and announces its Awards

The European Independent Film Festival (ÉCU), Europe's premier event for independent cinema, announces the festival's award winners.

ÉCU 2010, in partnership with G-Technology by Hitachi, screened 72 films from 28 countries over the weekend of the 12th, 13th and 14th of March 2010 at Cinéma Le Grand Action and Le Triomphe Théâtre in Paris.

Twenty-three awards were given out at the ceremony. Winners include Mihal Brezis and Oded Binnun from Lost Paradise(France) for "Best Director," Ventura Durall's Las 2 Vidas de Andrés Rabadán(Spain) for "Best European Dramatic Feature", and Marco Gadge's Das Paket(Germany) for "Best European Dramatic Short". The prestigious title of "Europe's Best Independent Film 2010" went to Yonathan Levy for Das Kind(UK).

Since its inception five years ago, ÉCU has proved to be a discovery point for many of Europe's talented independent filmmakers who are driven by the passion to make great cinema, but don't benefit from large production budgets.

Film of the Festival: Das Kind directed by Yonathan Levy

Best Director: Mihal Brezis & Oded Binnun for Lost Paradise

Best Actor: Bogdan Cotlet  for Tarantyno

Best Actress: Tuvalisa Rangström for Konvex T

Best European Dramatic Feature: Las 2 Vidas de Andrés Rabadán directed by Ventura Durall

Best European Dramatic short: Das Paket directed by Marco Gadge

Best European Documentary Feature: Addicted in Afghanistan director by Jawed Taiman

Best European Documentary short: Reaching Rosie directed by Jessica Morris

Best Editing: Légende de Jean l'Inversé directed by Philippe Lamensch

Best Cinematography: Committed directed by Isold Uggadottir

Audience Award: Last supper for Malthus directed by Klaus Pas, Hurry Home directed by Laurits Munch-Petersen, Catedral directed by Aliocha Allard and Alessio Rigo de Righi

Best Non European Dramatic feature: The Last Confession of Alexander Pearce directed by Michael James Rowland

Best Non European Dramatic short: The Miraculous Tale of the Children Dubois directed by Cassandra Lee Hamilton

Best Non European Documentary: Dhobi Ghaat directed by Azhar Mahmood

Best Student Film: The Highest Low directed by Louisa Mayman

Best Animation: Café directed by Joao Fazenda and Alex Gozblau

Ecology Now: The Last Giants directed by Sofie Schulz

Made on Mobile: Scared Boy directed by Patricio Torres

Best Short Script: Boots

Best Feature Script: Lily Bonham