European cinema occupies a special place in the heart of the cinema-going public: a Danish film, In a Better World, picked up the Best Foreign Language Film at the Oscars this year and films from across the continent are proving popular worldwide. One of the major events celebrating independent European filmmaking and bringing it to worldwide attention is The European Independent Film Festival (ÉCU). Considered the European equivalent to Sundance, ÉCU has established itself as an arena for independent filmmakers to screen their films in front of large audiences of cinema-goers and industry professionals.
In addition to showcasing European independent filmmakers, the festival also provides four foreign categories open to independent filmmakers from the Americas, Africa and Asia. ÉCU will screen a total of 77 films from 26 countries with the support of G-technology by Hitachi, including feature films, short films, documentaries, animated movies and experimental films, all competing in 12 categories for a variety of prizes including the prestigious Best European Independent Film award.
This year The European Independent Film Festival brings its sixth edition to Paris, with the event taking place over the first three days in April, screening at the cinema 7 Parnassiens, 98 Boulevard du Montparnasse (Paris XIV), and at the cinema Christine Action, 4 rue Christine ( Paris VI).
For many filmmakers, ÉCU provides an opportunity to screen their film for the first time in Europe and for some, it hosts the World Premiere. One such film in this year’s programme is the French feature 27m2 by directors Fabien Latrigue and Gabrielle Cserhati, which gives a unique perspective on the housing problem in France. Other moving documentaries include Cairo Exit (Dir. Hesham Issawi), an Egyptian film about the trauma and drama faced by many Egyptian youths on a daily basis – and how tragedy faces those who try and escape their situation and Salam Rugby, a look at women’s rugby in Iran.
The ÉCU Festival is also a place to exchange and discover, with creative workshops, script writing sessions, video editing and staging, along with Meet the Directors sessions in partnership with Access Film-Music, offering opportunities to engage and explore the films with the directors.
ÉCU: The European Independent Film Festival is a great place to discover new independent films from young and talented filmmakers and takes place on 1st, 2nd and 3rd April in Paris, France. For more information please visit http://www.ecufilmfestival.com
