The tape machine is chewing on the digibeta cassette like a cudding cow. An exploding projector bulb screams like an incoming artillery shell. The fire alarm is triggered and water cascades into the cinema. 350 soaked people stream out into the cold.
The bedside alarm goes off and I open an eye. Hmm. 3.10am. Nice. How I hate these reoccurring dreams only days before the festival ;)
Apart from the vertigo-inducing nightmares that play out in my head during a couple of hours sleep I’m ridiculously excited about this weekend. The numbers are seductive, we will screen 113 films from 27 countries; but we’re not projecting numbers here, we’re showing some of the World’s best independent films - each one representing the heart and soul of the director, actors and the production teams involved in this crazy process we call filmmaking.
And for me that’s what stands out with independent films – soul. I’m lucky enough to have already seen all of the films in competition (and the many more that we unfortunately cannot fit in) and I’m honoured to be able to present such a great slate of films to our 2009 audience.
The imagery is poetic,
The storylines epic,
The overall effect inspiring.
Trust me; these films will open your mind.

Don’t walk – run to ÉCU 2009.
P.S. Can someone please get that cow out of the projection room?

The Perfect Pitch, that new initiative to premiere at The European Independent Film Festival (ÉCU) – and to be held March 13th and 15th in the Salle Belvedere at La Bibliothèque Nationale de France, Francois Mitterrand – seems to have come together quite nicely.

Much More Than a Script Competition
As coordinator of the 2009 Much more than a Script Competition, I would like to congratulate our screenwriter finalists! It was a great competition with many wonderfully talented submissions, and in the end our judges narrowed down the choices to the following finalists.
For the best short scripts:
• Breakfast by Rob Vitolo
• Fergus and Viola by Anna Condo
• Raise You One Dead Body by Marjory Kaptanoglu
For the best feature scripts:
•Sabra Zoo by Mischa Hiller
• The Cannibal’s Supper by Amy Waddell
• VERA by Caitlin McCarthy


FILM REVEIWS
Captive
This short film opens with a series of distorted images that serve to reflect the morally blurred reality that Gus Alvarez has envisioned in his cautionary tale…

Emmalou
Emmalou is stuck in many ways. Stuck on a ship she works on day in and day out…

Operator
Matthew Walker’s Operator is a short but sweet animation that mixes realism with the absurd…

The Chef’s Letter
Confined to the close quarters of a restaurant kitchen and a tiny office, we follow a head chef’s struggle to express his true feelings for one of his staff...

The Man Inside
Most people worry about getting locked out and staying on the outside. But what would happen if you got stuck on the inside?...

Underground
Underground explores the harrowing delusions of a guilty conscience...

The European Independent Film Festival
13 – 15 March 2009
Location: Bibliothèque Nationale de France, site François-Mitterrand in Paris, France
Independent films from around the Globe, Workshops, Meet-the-Directors Sessions, the Perfect Pitch Competition and More!
Free Admission
For more information and a full list of the 2009 Official Selection and schedule of events, please visit www.ecufilmfestival.com
Please download your festival invitation here!


Exciting news
Special offers from Wallflower press
EuroIndie TV
The European Independent Film Channel
ÉCU announces it’s partnership with the Festival International du Film d’Environnement


Accomodation Offers
The European Independent Film Festival announces its favourite hotels that are happy to accommodate the festival attendees at special rates and to make their Festival weekend comfortable and cozy!
Click here for more hotel information


ÉCU 2009 Public Workshops
We are pleased to announce our final two workshop instructors for ÉCU 2009!
BAFTA-winning filmmaker, Asif Kapadia will direct the workshop 'Using landscape as a character in filmmaking', explaining the inspiration for his stories and their locations.
Times Literary Supplement writer Christoph Warrack will head a workshop called ‘Drama is Documentary is Drama’ focusing on line between fact and fiction in film.


Special event
William LET presents “Storyboard”
We are delighted that the artist William LET will be presenting his exhibition “Storyboard” throughout the festival. His groundbreaking work is a must see!
Click here for more information.


Closing Party
After the closing ceremony, please join the ECU staff for what is promised to be a fantastic closing ceremony soiree on board LA DAME DE CANTON, a coveted Parisian boat docked directly behind the BnF.
Featuring the amazing sounds of JAZZ AND BASS, a band sure to make you move and leave you wanting more, this will be an experience dedicated to music, the festival and interacting with the amazingly diverse film going community brought together at ECU 2009…