Last year was great fun at IFFS Paris, with exciting panels and prestigious panelists. Laurie Kirby, Bruno Chatelin co chair with Cannes Market Jérôme Paillard and Lionel Chouchann the man with 150 film festivals editions. We are gearing to a new edition in Paris next april 2 and 3.     Start planning now and ask for our partner prefered rate with a 50€ discount. See you all in Paris. Bruno Chatelin The IFFS  is the only annual conference & trade ...

 Gracie Otto, an ÉCU Alumni from the 2006 festival is working on her new feature documentary Chalky on legendary British producer Michael White, possibly the best known and most loved man in the world of theatre, film and celebrity. Want to  support this project? Then click on the link above. // Gracie Otto, un cinéaste du Festival ÉCU 2006 travaille sur son nouveau documentaire "Chalky" sur le célèbre producteur anglais Michael W...

  ÉCU SPOTLIGHT: CHARLIE KAUFMAN AND “CROWDFUNDING” ÉCU is a strong supporter of the unbridled creativity which is afforded to indie filmmakers, but acknowledges the difficulties in financing costs. This week the spotlight is on the acclaimed American screenwriter, director and producer Charlie Kaufman, who defies conventions and creates inspiringly innovative work. In September he raised twice the $200,000 budget required to produce his upcoming animat...

 The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) is North America’s most favoured 11 days for independent film. For 36 years, TIFF has provided an audience driven environment where independent filmmakers can premiere their work, and Canadian film has the opportunity to be presented on an international level. Film festivals and Canada were on my mind as I waited to have an interview with Manon Briand, a Quebecois director whose new feature film “Liverpool” was showing in TI...

  S3D Campus offers soon a training combining practice and theory that will be thought by the best experts of the S3D production chain. Supported by the European MEDIA programme for 3 years, S3D Campus offers its participants an exceptional learning frame in terms of means and opportunities to build or reinforce your professional network. From November 19 to 28, 2012, S3D Campus will offer an 8-day training program on Producing an S3D Film, from conception to screen. Divided into groups o...

This Romanian Festival, founded in 2005 by the “Artis Foundation” film production, it is the only international film festival that, from the very beginning, looked towards the Black Sea region’s film industry, doing something different. The festival has grown every year and became noticed abroad due to the quality of the submitted movies as well as the events included in the official program. Since 2007 each edition is held under the High Patronage of the Romanian President. Ro-IFF i...

Here at ÉCU we wish to celebrate the most adroit talents in indie cinema today and seek out the finest actors who display passion, intensity and ingenuity in their work. This week’s spotlight is on Dublin born actor Emmett Scanlan who starred as Charlie Barnum in the dark Irish film Charlie Casanova (2010), a part which won him Best Actor at the ÉCU 2011 awards. Scanlan was carefully chosen for this award out of the all the actors who featured in the 77 films from 26 different countrie...

Founded by Saint Petersburg Filmmaker’s Union festival, The Open St. Petersburg Student Film Festival “Beginning” is held annually with the assistance of the Committee of Culture of Saint Petersburg Government. The Film Festival “Beginning” represents a very important opportunity for independent and new cinema in Saint Petersburg. Every year the city at the Neva River welcomes young filmmakers, documentarians, directors, script writers, sound producers and all representatives i...

ÉCU SPOTLIGHT: CATHERINE DENEUVE – THE QUEEN OF FRENCH CINEMA Catherine Deneuve: The queen of French cinema that winks at the Independent cinema by Alessia Massa If you have a love for film, you must have a certain appreciation for French cinema. From the Lumière brothers to today, the French cinema has contributed many masterpieces that have helped to write cinematography history. Independent cinema is able to strike the heart’s chords; it can make you smile, touch you,...

Budding young filmmaker? Creative writer? Marketing genius? Social Media Pro? Here is a great opportunity for you to gain hands-on experience in the fantastic world of cinema while working with a cool international team in the heart of Paris. ÉCU – The European Independent Film Festival, one of Europe’s leading festivals for Indie filmmakers, needs YOU to ensure the success of the festival’s 8th edition. We are looking for open-minded, hard-working, autonomous and really fun people...

This week the spotlight is on Marcel Carné, an innovative filmmaker who led the poetic realism movement and was arguably considered the most admired French filmmaker of his era. He produced his great works just before the mid-twentieth century, some of which include; “Quai de Brumes” (1938); “Les Portes de la Nuit” (1946); and “Le Jour se lève” (1939). In 1936 Carné directed his first full length feature film “Jenny” and it was with the production of this fil...

The French psychologist Olivia de Groc, joins the project to promote a case study on the situation of the children in Chunchi. The study will be allocated to associations as ANAR Foundation, NGOs like Volunteer Ecuador and all contributors involved in the project. Help us! THE DOCUMENTARY In a small town in Ecuador at 2, 280 metres above sea level, sixty two children have commited suicide over the last five years from hanging themselves, ingesting rat poison, solvents, gunpowder from fir...

ÉCU’s Partners Four River Film Festival and Youth Film Festival – The Yellow carpet     From 12th to 15th September 2012, the 17th Youth Film Festival and the 5th Four River Festival will become the most important place for Croatian as well as international high school film. Thanks to the organization of the Croatian Film Association and the Cinema Club Karlovac, the city of Karlovac will again “become yellow” and about 160 high school kids from all over the ...

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...