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British director Tom Browne talks to us about his film ‘Spunkbubble’ recently entered in ÉCU’s European Dramatic Short category. As original as it is violent, the film is shot entirely as surveillance-camera footage, witnessing the events taking place in one individual hotel room. Yet what these events actually are, we can never really be quite sure…….
By Mairi Cunningham
Q: Your film is unsettling yet intriguing. Tell me what it is about and where the inspi...
L’asilo di Brea is a recent submission to ECU 2010’s Non European Dramatic Short category. Set in Los Angeles, the film traces the meeting between two strangers who after a casual night of intimacy, make the twisted discovery that their relationship is more than they realised. We talk to director Dae Hoon Kim about his inspiration behind the film, the wealth of symbolic imagery as well as his cinematographic influences. By Mairi Cunningham &nb...
ALMARITSU, directed by Damien Montaron, is a recent submission to ÉCU 2010’s Experimental film category.
By Sophie Nellis
Q: Given that it’s the only word spoken in the film, what does “Almaritsu” mean?
The word “Almaritsu” has no verbal definition. It’s a word which contains all words. Almaritsu is a cry, it’s a smile, it’s confidence, it’s a free breath. In fact, this word contains everythi...
Without anything but a newspaper article to go off of, Aliocha and Alessio Rigo de Righi travelled to Spain to document the daily life of a Catholic monk who had been building a cathedral since the early 1950s. Not letting them film him at first, the two filmmakers exchanged their labor in order to document the monk’s life for seven days. CATEDRAL is a recent submission to ÉCU 2010’s European Documentary Short category.
By Lindsay May...
WITHOUT, a recent submission to ECU’s European Dramatic Short category, is directed by Natalia Andreadis. The three minute short focuses on the desparation of a woman caught in an unusual circumstance…
By Lindsay Mayer
Q: First off, I’d like to know: What film has inspired you more than any other?
So many films have had a big impact on me but I suppose I can narrow it down to two in particular. Firstly comes “Jurassic Park” because it i...
Canadian director Dan Clements whose recent submission to ÉCU 2010's Non-European Dramatic Short film category is entitled ”Patient” talks to us about blind dates, false teeth and his motivations as a filmmaker.
By Mairi Cunningham
Q: First off, the ambiguous and unsettling opening was amazing. First time round, I was fooled into thinking it was going to be a very awkward blind date that was about to be acted out, not a hostage negotiation! T...
The ECU team is delighted to confirm that this year’s festival will be held in 2 new venues right in the heart of Paris. In addition to our main venue Cinéma le Grand Action, ECU 2010 will also be hosting events at the independent theatre Le Triomphe. Situated in the heart of the Latin Quarter, with its red velvet seats and curtained screen, entering into this gem of a venue is like stepping back to the golden age of French cinema. As well as film screenings, ECU’s professional film making ...
En Dårlig Dag (A Bad Day) a recent submission to the ÉCU 2010 European Dramatic Short Category is about a professional hitman, whose job doesn't go quite to plan. Mairi Cunningham talks to the film's director Bjarki Thomsen.
Q. Tell me briefly about your film. Where did the idea come from to have a hit man finally outdone by his victim?
The hitman has no empathy for others. The only soft spot the hitman has, i...
Having recently won “Best Art Film” at the Monaco International
Film Festival, we asked director Carmen Rozestraten to elaborate on the
inspiration behind her submission to ÉCU 2010, “After The Water The
Clouds.” By Lindsay Mayer
Q: I love the opening shot in this film. How did you get the idea for it?
The opening shot? The original title was “Dreams Of Sleepy Feet”… I
love water. I also love feet…. I tried to use the fee...
Photograph by Patrick Moore
Director James Rumsey recently submitted his film, Milk Man to the ÉCU 2010 Fiction Short category.
Having recently won the “Audience Choice Award” at the Filmstock
International Film Festival 2009 in the UK, Rumsey talks to us about
milk, re-birth and the beauty of working on a tight budget. By Anna
Takayama
Q: What is your film about?
Milk Man is about the consequences of getting stuck in one
view of yourself and of...
Don’t miss Club Positif’s monthly event this December at Le Grand Action!
Tuesday, the 22nd of December at 8pm, Le Grand Action will be holding its monthly débat animé, this month lead by Pierre Eisenreich from Club Positif. Each month Club Positif shows a selected film and holds a discussion after the screening. The film of choice for this month: Gabrielle starring Isabelle Huppert and Pascal Greggory. In this film-adaptation of Joseph Conrad’s novel “The Retu...
Director
Joao Salaviza pictured center. Salaviza won the Palme d'Or Short Film
award for his film "Arena" at the Cannes Film Festival 2009 (Photo by
Sean Gallup/Getty Images Europe)
Porguese director, João Salaviza, awarded “Best Short Film” at Cannes 2009
for his film, “Arena” Born in Lisbon in 1984, Salaviza majored in
cinema at the School of Theater and Cinema, concluding his studies at
the Universidad del Cine in Buenos Aires. His first shor...
Thanks to The Film Annex Network,
you can now watch trailers from this year’s recent submissions as well
as interviews with past award winners including Sam Holland, director
of Zebra Crossings which was awarded “Best European Independent Film
2009.” The Film Annex, a free online video and Web TV platform allows
you to download, watch, and upload films. Log on to http://ecuwebtv.com/ to check out our most recent trailers!
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The Curtas of Vila do Conde Festival, we are happy to announce, is now one of ÉCU’s partner festivals! This already renowned film festival based in Portugal presents the seventh art at its best. At the Curtas of Vila do Conde Festival, film projections, video installations, and impressive combinations of music and film from all parts of the world make it an exciting event. Its aim to project, discuss and award the best cinema from around the globe also makes it a perfect part...
From the people who have been putting filmmakers and musicians together at Film Festival Week in Park City, Utah since 2004, Access Film-Music is now our official music partner for ÉCU 2010! During Utah’s famed Film Festival Week, which encompasses notable film festivals like Slamdance, Sundance, Tromadance and more, Access Film-Music Showcase has presented hundreds of exceptional musical artists to the film industry, including national and international tourin...
Who is Cineuropa? A website dedicated entirely to the European filmmaking community and a newly re-established partner of ÉCU 2010! The Cineuropa
team provides film and television professionals from all over the world
an invaluable resource created “to provide up-to-date information and
other services essential to know one another better.” www.cineuropa.org Best feature of the website? It comes in four languages: Italian, French, Spanish and English.
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ÉCU is proud to announce its partnership with Modul8 for ÉCU 2010! Brought to you by GarageCUBE based out of Geneva, the winner of the ÉCU 2010 Experimental Film category will be awarded a Modul8 editing package, “a revolutionary MacOS X application designed for real time video mixing.” From veejaying to contemporary art to video production, Modul8 is a flexible, responsive and easy-to-use editing software. Read more below or click here to visit the website.
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What’s there to do in Paris during the holidays? Check out ÉCU’s guide to holiday time in Paris. Click on the links for more information.
By Sophie Nellis
1. Do some window shopping. Paris’ department stores – Galeries Lafayette, Au Printemps and BHV go all out during the festive season, with haute couture-meets-Christmas window displays and fabulous lighting. This year, the fashion designer JC de Castelbajak des...
By Sophie Nellis
The best place to go if you’re looking for atmosphere…
In addition to the Gare du Nord and the Gare de l’Est, one of the key landmarks in the 10th arrondissement is the Canal St-Martin. Although the northern part of the canal has a slightly industrial feel to it, the southern part is very picturesque and it’s a great place to go if you fancy a leisurely stroll. The tree-lined quais are close...
Director James Rumsey recently submitted his film, Milk Man to the ÉCU 2010 Fiction Short category. Having recently won the “Audience Choice Award” at the Filmstock International Film Festival 2009 in the UK, Rumsey talks to us about milk, re-birth and the beauty of working on a tight budget. By Anna Takayama
Q: What is your film about?
Milk Man is about the consequences of getting stuck in one view of yourself and of life and aims to suggest th...
Scott Hillier
Hi! Our early deadline is getting near so if you directors want your film to be in competition at ÉCU 2010 you’d best work on locking that picture and send us a screening copy as soon as possible! You’ll find submission details at www.ecufilmfestival.com.
While everyone seems to have spent the year being battered from pillar to post due to the World’s economic implosion, submissions have been coming in to us at a steady stream. As usual we ar...
By Clémentine Briand
ECU would like to spotlight author Paul Osborne and his article “Film Festival Dos and Don’ts,” which outlines rules for filmmakers on the collaboration between filmmaker and film festival that must take place to have a successful screening. Take a look at our own Scott Hilllier’s comment in reponse to this intuitive article on festivals.
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Article by Sarah Schutzki Voisin
Rodrigo Vila pitching his project "Hero of Two Sisters Mountain" to a professional panel at ECU's Perfect Pitch 2009
From London (Good Pitch) to Scotland (The Edinburgh Pitch) to Barcelona (DocsBarcelona) to Paris (ECU’s The Perfect Pitch!!), workshops, forums and presentations on the art of pitching have become one of the backbones of the independent film festival.
In addition to offering up a great reason to travel, these ...
Article by Anna Takayama
Director, Alice Mitterrand recently submitted her film, D’UNE VIE A L’AUTRE to the ÉCU 2010 Dramatic Short category. She discusses the joys and sorrows of motherhood as well as her own struggles as a filmmaker.
Q: What is your film about?
The film is about motherhood, which is a very sensitive time in a woman’s life. Everything changes: one’s way of thinking, one’s priorities, and one’s vision on life. In this s...
Article by Anna Takayama
Turnstunde, from director Hannes Rall, a recent submission to the ÉCU 2010 Animation category, is about the adventures of a young boy and his unusual nightmare: the gym lesson! Anna Takayama finds out what inspired the director, and more.
Q: What is your film about?
A chubby little boy is faced with the the recurring traumatic experience of attending a gym lesson. He is confronted by his evil and slightly sadistic sport...
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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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