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by Jennifer Wallace
Parisian landscapes are frequently manipulated by directors to create
a self-contained world for the protagonists. In Michael Haneke’s
‘Hidden’, clues to unravelling the mystery of the film are deeply
embedded in its location. Jen Wallace visits the Cité florale to
unearth some answers.
If you were to ask people what films they know that are set in Paris,
you’d be sure to come up with popular answers such as ‘Amélie’, ‘Paris
Je t’aime...
To kick start ÉCU’s new theme for 2011 we introduce you to Ellen Dumbadze,
newest addition to the ÉCU staff. In her in interview with Ana (our “creative
content” intern) she tells us about her origins, her expectations, and her
hands
Ana: Hey Ellen, funny that we should meet at ÉCU! Tell me, where are you from?
Ellen: Hi, I am from Georgia – the country not the state! I was born
in the capital of Georgia, Tbilisi, one of the most fascinating places
in the worl...
You may have noticed that we sneakily changed
our graphics for ÉCU 2011 and you may have asked yourself, “What the…?” Well
let us explain. The ÉCU Team realizes that making an independent film is
a lonely venture and The ÉCU Hand symbolises the festival’s commitment to
letting these talented story-tellers know that ‘You are not alone’ and that ÉCU
stands as a beacon of support for aspiring filmmakers. To compliment the new
graphics, ÉCU 2011...
by Marc Rickenbach
American mash-up master Girl Talk has been the subject of much
controversy due to his copyright-bending art and wild live shows. With a
new album out (available as a free download), we take a look at an
artist who calls attention to the possibilities of the Internet in
enhancing creativity via mash-up style music videos – which are in turn
often put together from existing content.
If there’s one musician who truly represents the current state of ...
by Ana Soares
It’s tough to be an artist in the era of copyright, so knowing
that organizations like Creative Commons are out there, looking out for
your right to be creative, can be at least reassuring.
Whether you’re an independent or mainstream filmmaker, a musician or a
scientist, a writer or an ayahuasca appreciator – copyright laws
concern you. If your job or hobby involves being creative and producing
something unique out of whatever influences you, you’...
Louisa Mayman won the prize for ÉCU 2010’s Best Student Feature, making a promising debut of her career. The young British filmmaker talked to us about how she got started, what she’s influenced by, and also how moving to London represents an exciting opportunity for her future in the industry.
Where are you from?
Lichfield, a small town just north of Birmingham.
If you could describe indie cinema in your country in 3 words, what would they be?
Passionate, creat...
Bonjour! Good morning! Guten Tag! Buenos días! Buongiorno! Bom dia! Kalimera! Tere hommikust! Goedemorgen! Dobré ráno! God dag!
I would like to extend an invitation for your school to participate in the 6th edition of the European Independent Film Festival
(ÉCU), Europe’s premier event for independent filmmakers and their audiences. ÉCU is not only a great opportunity for students to see a vast array of fresh and innovative films made by extraordinarily talented filmmakers, ...
by Marc Rickenbach
With well over 100 videos shot and published, La Blogothèque’s Take-Away Shows are hardly a well kept secret anymore. They have become a standard stop for bands and artists of all styles and status that tour through the French capital. Arcade Fire, Animal Collective and Phoenix have all walked the streets of Paris in filmmaker Vincent Moon’s guerilla-style videos.
The Take-Away Shows (Les Concerts à emporter) first saw the day of light in April of 2006...
It’s not surprising that since the release of Paul Bryan’s music
video, sales of the Olympus iSpeed 3 camera have doubled, as it has
proved the camera’s capabilities for so much more than its original
design.
The Olympus iSpeed 3, used by Paul Bryan in his music video for
Knuckles/Sovnger, is a versatile and impressive piece of kit.
Originally designed for use in industrial research and ballistics
testing, they offer incredibly high speed, high resolution i...
Talented Filmmaker? Interested in joining an Indie film community? Dream of screening your film in the city where cinema was invented? Then the European Independent Film Festival is where you want to be! We are now accepting film submissions for our sixth edition which will take place in Paris the 1st, 2nd and 3rd of April 2011. At ÉCU, it is not about who you know or the latest fashionable theme, we are looking for brilliant original work across twelve categories:
European:
- Dramati...
We’ve recently announced the winners and runners-up of our Driven Creativity Competition 2010 – open to aspiring filmmakers, photographers and musicians in France, Germany and the UK. The competition received a fantastic level of entries and below are the film and animation winners and runners-up. We’d love to know what you think of them over twitter (follow us @gtecheurope) or on our facebook. And remember, all of the shortlisted work will be exhibited at an exciting, fr...
by Marc Rickenbach
Baby, Baby, Baby
Kill me
French duo Make the Girl Dance pretty much make it clear that they
deserve the award for best use of a marketing budget. In the age of the
flip-cam, iMovie and all the other cheap filmmaking paraphernalia that
is too easy to get your hands on and use, music videos continue to cost
labels a boat-ton of cash for over-the-top productions that more often
than not fail to balance the books. Who knows why, but it’s the ca...
Olá, my name is Ana Clara Soares, I’m Brazilian and for the past two months I’ve been a happy ÉCU intern.
To me, Paris is magical, and I absolutely love it. There’s just so much art in every single corner, so much life that in the 2 years that I’ve been living here I can say without a doubt that I’ve only experienced an embarrassingly small portion of the city’s greatness. Nonetheless, I guess that’s one of the reasons why I’ve continued living here - utterly fas...
Yonathan Levy is a rising Israeli/French filmmaker who won ÉCU 2010’s Film of the Festival (Europe’s Best Independent Film 2010) with his touching film, Das Kind.
While Das Kind continues its road to success on the festival circuit, Yonathan spoke to us about his influences and aspirations, keeping us eager to see what he’s up to next.
Where are you from?
I was born in Israel but I’ve always lived in France…until now. Indeed, next week, I will go back to Isra...
by Marc Rickenbach
Continuing our celebration of music videos leading up to ÉCU’s
inaugural Best European Music Video 2011 award, we take a look at some
of our favorite animated and craft-savvy clips currently out there.
The stylized live performance has been the go-to concept since music
videos hit the scene some thirty years ago. Many lack a narrative, and
if they do they tend to be trite and directly reference lyrics. In most
cases we’ve built a sort of immuni...
By Claire Leonard, ÉCU Writer
Underground systems throughout the world have long held a magnetic
attraction for filmmakers. Be it the perpetual bustle of commuters, the
transient nature of encounters, the stark strip-lighting or the endless
labyrinthine, white-tiled corridors –there is a quality which brings
filmmakers time and time again underground into these man-made
environments to explore our inner lives.
Earlier this year, the young filmmaker Paul Bryan captu...
This month we’ve been chatting to brothers, Ben and Chris Blaine – two self-taught filmmakers who have learnt their craft by mistakes, flukes and a lot of hard work. They own the production company Charlie Productions and their impressive portfolio of films include the BAFTA shortlisted Russell Square and award-winning Hallo Panda. The pair is also heavily involved in Shooting People – the international networking organisation dedicated to the support and promotion of indepe...
Love cinema? Do you speak Italian? Are you opened-minded, hard-working, and autonomous? Here is an amazing 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. The European Independent Film Festival, one of Europe's leading festivals for Indie filmmakers, need YOU to ensure the success of the festival's 6th edition which will be held from the 1-3rd of April 2011.
We are looking for someone to h...
Hey, my name is Kadi Lokk I’m from Estonia and I’ve just started interning with The European Independent Film Festival here in Paris!
I’m a college graduate from Mainor Business School in Tallinn, Estonia. I have worked in the US for the Southwestern summer program, managed a web portal in Tallinn and during the last couple of months worked in Disneyland Paris. I moved to Paris early this summer, simply because I love Paris- for me it is such a cultural city, where something...
As part of G-Technology’s ongoing support for the ECU community, we’ll be bringing you regular exclusive interviews from filmmakers and producers in the field, sharing top hints and tips.
Let’s kick off with Preston Clay Reed – an independent film producer and member of the bi-coastal, American based production company, Fretboard Pictures LLC. His film The Magician was shortlisted at the European Independent Film Festival (ECU). He’s a G-Technology ambassador, us...
by Ana Clara Soares, ÉCU writer
September in Paris has been a month with endless opportunities for independent filmmakers to expose their work, and film-goers to enjoy them. With the end of our summer, it’s a time to enjoy the last moments of warm afternoons at parks or begin to find refuge in the movie theaters on surprisingly chilly nights. For those who like myself would prefer to combine these occasions with the opportunity to discover new films and filmmakers, festivals li...
by Ana Clara Soares, ÉCU writer
All of us can create certain ideas of what to expect of film festivals simply from thinking about their names. If it’s named Silhouette one can somehow expect “silhouettes” of ideas, expressed in a short film format. If it’s named The European Independent Film Festival, you can expect from us to watch some exciting European indie films. But what about a festival named L’Étrange (i.e. The Strange)? I bet your expectations are less clear-c...
Budding young filmmaker? Creative writer? Marketing genius? Social Media Pro? Here is an amazing 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. The European Independent Film Festival, one of Europe's leading festivals for Indie filmmakers, needs YOU to ensure the success of the festival’s 6th edition which will be held from the 1st-3rd April 2011.
We are looking for open-minded, hard-working...
ÉCU is now a IMBD Qualifying Festival!! That's fab news for us - but even GREATER news for all of our submitting directors because this means that you'll be granted a no-hassle title page on IMDb.com!!
...
The festival could not happen without the tireless effort of all the
people who volunteer every year. If you want to find out what goes on
behind the scenes and join us in making it happen then we would love to
hear from you. We are looking for people who are motivated, dedicated
and passionate about indie film. If this sounds like you then click here!
...
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About ÉCU-The European Independent Film Festival
 Hillier Scott
(ECU)
Scott Hillier, Founder and President of ÉCU - The European Independent Film Festival
Scott Hillier is a director, cinematographer, and screenwriter, based in Paris, France. In the last 20 years, Hillier has gained international recognition from his strong and incredible cinematography, editing, writing, producing and directing portfolio in both the television and film industries.
Scott began his career in the television industry in Australia. In 1988, he moved to London getting a job with the BBC who then set him to Baghdad. This opportunity led him to 10 years of traveling around world for the BBC, mainly in war zones like Somalia, Bosnia, Tchetcheynia, Kashmir, and Lebanon. After a near fatal encounter with a Russian bomber in Tchechnyia, Hillier gave up his war coverage and began in a new direction.
He moved to New York City in 1998. He directed and photographed eight one-hour documentaries for National Geographic and The Discovery Channel. Based on his war knowledge and experience, Hillier wrote and directed a short film titled, “Behind the Eyes of War!" The film was awarded “Best Short Dramatic Film” at the New York Independent Film and TV Festival in 1999. From that he served as Supervising Producer and Director for the critically acclaimed CBS 42 part reality series, "The Bravest” in 2002 and wrote and directed a stage play called, "Deadman’s Mai l," which ran at Le Théâtre du Moulin de la Galette in Paris during the summer of 2004. He then became the Director of Photography on a documentary titled, “Twin Towers." This was yet another life changing experience for Hillier. The riveting documentary won an Academy Award for "Best Documentary Short Subject" in 2003. In 2004, Hillier changed continents again, spending three months in Ethiopia. He produced “Worlds Apart,” a pilot for ABC America / True Entertainment / Endemol. As you can see, Hillier was and is always in constant movement and enjoys working in a number of diverse creative areas including documentaries, music videos, commercials, feature and short films.
Scott studied film at New York University and The London Film and Television School. He also studied literary non-fiction writing at Columbia University. Hillier's regular clients include the BBC, Microsoft, ABC, PBS and National Geographic. Between filming assignments, he used to teach film, a Masters Degree course in Screenwriting at the Eicar International Film School in Paris, France and journalism at the Formation des Journalistes Français in Paris, France.
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