Now that the ‘rentrée’ has officially begun and the whole of Paris is back at work, it is no surprise that ÉCU has been as busy as ever this month! As the days get shorter and the nights get longer and colder, it’s clear that the lazy summer is over and its time to start the build-up to our 2012 edition in earnest. The rain outside has given our judges a good opportunity to go through more and more of the fantastic films we are receiving from around the globe Away from the beginning of the autumn here in Paris though, ÉCU has been to warmer climates all around the world to visit our partner festivals this month. Starting of with “Festival de Villa de Leyva” in Columbia, then the “10th Open St. Petersburg Student Film Festival” in Russia, and now the “Naperville Independent Film Festival” in America, our films have travelled far and wide. There’s even more exciting trips abroad planned to our partner festivals, including “ÉCU in Georgia”, which will showcase some of our past winners in Tbilisi from 7-9th October, and which we are all looking forward to. After that, we are going to Romania for a retrospective of the last 6 years from 17th-22nd October. All in all, some people won’t be spending much time in Paris! For all of us left at home though, we have also been busy this month writing about how to watch films without going to the cinema in France, the best cinemas in Paris and even a calendar for things to do in September. If that wasn’t enough, there are also some fascinating interviews with past winners. Another exciting development here at ÉCU is the launch of the Youth Category, which now has its own promo video, and has secured partnerships with the International Student Film organisation (ISFO), Olympia International Film Festival and CameraZiziano. Between new submissions, screenings around the world, interviews, new partnerships, and a new category, there’s always a lot going on here! Until the next newsletter, you can stay up-to-date by visiting our website and social media channels!