Recently ÉCU has started a partnership with the Festival del Cinema Indipendente di Foggia, an annual event – organized by the Province of Foggia, with support from the Regione Puglia and European Union, through co-financing from the European regional development- that this year has decided to open its contest to Europe.

The festival shares the same goals of the European Independent Film Festival: to discover and to promote the best independent cinematography that defends the creativeness and the liberty of expression.

The Vice-president and spokesman for the Arts and Culture Billa Consiglio says: -“The partnership proposal from ÉCU, confirms to us that the new deal of the Festival del Cinema Indipendente di Foggia is right. It will be an occasion of world promotion, both for the Province of Foggia and for the filmmakers that will participate in our Festival. The Foggia’s Festival winners, in fact, will be invited by the ÉCU to enter the submission process of ÉCU 2012 free of charge, with the opportunity to be selected by an international jury made up of qualified and skilled people.”

The Festival Indipendente del Cinema di Foggia will be held in Foggia, Italy from 2 to 8 December 2011, among the films of the official selection: La strada verso casa directed by Samuele Rossi, Sulla strada di casa directed by Emiliano Corapi, Appartamento ad Atene directed by Ruggero Dipaola, Restoration directed by Joseph Madmony, The Quiet Game directed by Görel Crona and 27m2 directed by Fabien Lartigue and Gabriella Cserhati and winner of ÉCU’s 2011 “Film of the Festival” award.

The Festival program is very rich and suitable for all the ages, there will be workshop, concerts, screenings, special events for children and a conference in collaboration with the Apulia Film “As to make a movie and to draw sources of financing”. Apulia Film Fund works as a grant for Movie Productions interested in shooting in Puglia. This region, from Gargano to Salento, it’s the richest, among Italian regions, in delightful locations. Modern and busy metropolis, medieval small villages, huge deserted square, sea caves, smoking chimneys, sunny farms, ancient olive trees and an 800 km shore with unique and crystal-clear water. Shooting in Puglia, it’s like having the world in one place. On 6 December at the Sala Farina, at 8 pm there will be the screening of the film 27m2 and then at the 10 pm ÈCU on the Road will stop in Foggia with a special screening: Scott Hillier our President will introduce five of our winners (Broken Clouds Winner Best Non European Independent Dramatic Short, Lavan Winner Best Cinematography, Never Winter Winner Best Actress, Paths of Hate Winner Best Animation, Stanley Pickle Winner Best Student Film).

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