2015 ÉCU European Film Festival announces winners

Europe's premier event for independent cinema, ÉCU - The European Independent Film Festival has announced its 2015 award-winning films, including its highest honour, "Best European Independent Film 2015".

After showcasing 84 films from 32 countries, ÉCU 2015 ended its indie-packed weekend with a spirited final ceremony recognizing 25 award winners in 14 categories. Winners included: 'The Anklet', directed by Guillaume Levil (France) for Best European Independent Dramatic Short; 'Roseville', directed by Martin Makariev (Bulgaria) for Best European Independent Dramatic Feature; and 'Out of Reach' (Rain Night), directed by Pablo Diartinez (Belgium) for Best European Independent Experimental Film. Tannaz Hazemi took home Best Director for 'Before the Bomb' (USA), while the most prestigious award at the festival for Best European Independent Film 2015 went to 'Here Lies' (United Kingdom), directed by Duncan Ward.

During the festival weekend, international audiences were granted unprecedented access to films and their filmmakers from across the spectrum of experience, culture and genre. Director Q&A sessions provided a formal setting for discussion between spectators and directors on filmmaking as both a business and an art form, while after-parties throughout Paris extended these conversations into music-fueled early morning hours. ÉCU endeavors to provide a cultural platform not only for entertainment, but also for active networking across the independent film world.

For the last 10 years, ÉCU has been launching and expanding careers for many talented independent filmmakers. The festival is extremely proud to help further the careers of these passionately driven artists who create incredible cinema without the benefits of large production budgets. ÉCU's mission to discover and promote extraordinary independent films from around the world propels its position as a major European cultural event.

"Seeing as this is the 10th year, I'm so happy to be here. I'm fascinated as it is a really, really strong festival and it genuinely has an independent sensibility about it." commented Duncan Ward, director of HERE LIES, winner of Best European Independent Film 2015.

Scott Hillier, Academy Award-honored filmmaker and ÉCU President, remarked that "it was a great honor to showcase such an incredible array of films this past weekend," adding that "if these are the storytellers of the future, then they certainly offer insight into what this next generation of filmmakers can do."