Scott Hillier is an Australian Director / Cinematographer / Screenwriter. Scott studied film at New York University and The London Film and Television school as well as literary non-fiction writing at Columbia University. He has taught a Masters Degree course in Screenwriting as well as journalism at the Centre de Formation des Journaliste (CFJ) in Paris. In addition to serving as President of The European Independent Film Festival he is also Chief Creative Officer for the Zs2 Media Group in Paris.

Alan Arrivée is a filmmaker and writer and is Assistant Professor of Cinema and Cinema Director at The University of Mississippi. His short film Silent Radio, which he both wrote and directed, was awarded Best Foreign Film and Best Cinematography at The European Independent Film Festival 2007. It has been the Official Selection of over twenty international film festivals, including Staten Island and Breckenridge. He is currently in post-production for his upcoming short film Man at the Door.

Alvaro Ramos, is an actor and independent producer borned in Madrid, Spain. He co-produced and played in his first short film, “Anonymous”, in 2006, obtaining more than 20 international prizes at different film festivals and was pre-selected for the Oscars in 2009. Alvaro is now is producing and playing an internet sitcom serie in Spain.

Andrea Pallaoro is an award winning film and theater director whose recent work investigates the human perception of alienation and its relationship to intimacy. His last film WUNDERKAMMER won six international awards and has been selected in the official competition of over fifty film festivals around the world, including Sundance 2009. He was born in Trento, Italy and currently resides in Los Angeles, CA, where he is working toward the realization of his next film projects.

Stephen Mills, a Los Angeles filmmaker, has attended two ÉCU festivals where his short films, A Cigar at the Beach (2007) and LIMINAL (2009) each won for Best Non-European Dramatic Short. After attending Yale Drama School, Mills worked for years as an actor, then as a playwright/director, and is currently developing new work for film. He relishes this opportunity to absorb the inspirations of other filmmakers and to participate in this vital and supportive festival.

Ellezam Daniel is responsible for the legal despoite of audiovisual material at th Bibliothèque nationale de France (or National Library of France, if you wish) and director of the DVD Collection, “Movies in the Classroom” edited by Scérén-CNDP.

Guy Tucker has worked as a corporate producer/director for the past twenty years serving clients including Microsoft, Dell Computers, DHL, Russell Investments and Hewlett-Packard. His greatest passion is bringing creativity and entertainment to what is often a staid segment of the industry. When he’s not arguing with customs officials about equipment carnets, Guy can be found racing his bicycle.

João Salaviza won the short film Palm d’Or with “Arena” at Festival de Cannes, and the Best Portuguese Short Film Award at IndieLisboa in 2009. Participations in the major international festivals Tribeca, Rotterdam, London and Pusan followed. He is currently completing the short “Cerro Negro” and preparing to shoot another short “Rafa” before going into pre-production for his first feature-length work.

Julien Vialon made his first screen debut as a professional, playing opposite Marcello Mastroianni, in “Three Lives and Only One Death”. After appearing in numerous French TV series and short films, he turned to writing and directing and in 2004, his third short film script won the award for best short film at a festival in Paris and was later shown at the Cannes Film Festival in the “Short Film Corner”. After two years at the American Actors Studio, he scored the lead part of Bartolomeo Vanzetti in the play “Sacco & Vanzetti” before making his stage debut at London’s Old Vic in “Platform” in November 2010.

Carlo Varini has served as director of photography on more than 30 feature films, documentaries, short films and on more than 50 television shows, most notably Luc Besson’s “The Last Battle”, “Subway” and “The Big Blue”. He has been awarded two Caesars nominations: for “Subway” and “The Big Blue” for outstanding achievement in cinematography. His work has received tremendous notice around the world and at many of the major film festivals: Avoriaz, Sitgès, Berlin, Taormina, Venice, Cannes, Locarno, Lodz etc.

Born in Rome, Varo Venturi, began filmmaking after a writing and producing music. 1997 saw his big break with his first short film, “Cosmos Hotel”, a piece highly appreciated on the European film festival circuit, receiving praise at Locarno, Turin and Sacher. He then co-wrote “L’italiano” in 2002, directed by De Dominicis, where he was also cast in one of the leading roles. In 2003 he produced and distributed “Nazareno” with a cast of non-professional actors taken from their real lives. This film won a special mention at the ÉCU film festival in 2008. He is now working on the upcoming “6 Days on Earth” as well as a co-production for a film set in the 15th century, centering around Pope Pius II.

Vesna De Vinca is a TV author, journalist, TV director, editor, and screenwriter. Since 1993, she has been the TV programme editor on the documentary programme, RTS, the biggest radio and TV network in Serbia & Montenegro. Her TV programs are broadcasted via satellite. She has been running her own TV production company since.

Oscar Vega embarked on his film career at age 32 after working in ceramics banking and IT. As director and scriptwriter, Oscar Vega has made three short films: “El Contrato de Murk”, “Hechizo Lunar” and “Concierto a la Mujer Desconocida” and two feature-length films: “Raluy, Una Noche en el Circo” and “El sexo de los Dinosaurios”. All of which have received recognition at numerous film festivals around the world. He is a member of the Television Academy and has been on the jury of several film festivals.

Silvia Defrance studied animation film at the Faculty of Fine Arts in Ghent. She has worked as a researcher at the Royal Academy in Ghent, where she participated in the artistic research project on movement qualities in audiovisual composition. During this research she made a number of abstract experimental animation films. She is currently working on a Doctorate in the Arts exploring and questioning narrative and non-narrative film structures in film theory and film practice while also developing a new film project: “Spymovie”.

Susan Sainty has been a member of the ÉCU jury since 2007. She has worked predominantly in factual film and television over the past 15 years, as a writer, producer and director. She is currently a producer at Discovery Channel in London.

Catalin Leescu is a Romanian producer/director with over 14 years of experience in film and advertising, while also doing extensive non-commercial works for the Romanian CNC and national television. Internationally, he has worked as a film and advertising director in Spain, France and Latvia. He is currently heading East European Film Alliance on behalf of eleven film partner organizations from Eastern Europe.

Louisa Mayman won the Best Student Film award at the ÉCU festival in 2010 with her short documentary ‘The Highest Low’. She has since been appointed an ambassador for G-Technology and has relocated to London where she is seeking apprenticeships within film companies while working on her first short film ”Come Clean”.

Sebastian Mantilla’s first short film ‘With Diva’ was selected at the prestigious Semaine de la Critique at Cannes and Sundance. In addition to directing other shorts such as ‘Bully the Kid’ and ‘The Captain’, he has made several music videos and commercials for Mayo-Lowe. His independent feature TV film ‘Next to Babilonia’ won the Best Director award at ÉCU 2009. He is now in post-production of ‘Las Guaguas’ shot in Ecuador.

Guillaume Gontard- a film expert, who lives and works in Lyon, France.

Gerald Delorme- film critic from Premiere Magazine.