The European Independent Film Festival (ÉCU) and the Vail Film Festival Announce 2026 Partnership
VAIL, CO, UNITED STATES, January 7, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — The European Independent Film Festival (ÉCU) and the Vail Film Festival Announce 2026 Partnership
The European Independent Film Festival (ÉCU), now in its 21st year, and the Vail Film Festival, entering its 22nd year, are pleased to announce a new partnership for their 2026 editions. This collaboration aims to spotlight independent cinema, strengthen transatlantic artistic exchange, and deepen the creative bridge between French and American filmmaking communities.
As part of the partnership, the Vail Film Festival will present a special showcase of ÉCU-selected films during its 2026 edition, taking place December 3–6, 2026, in Vail, Colorado. In return, ÉCU Paris will feature a curated program of Vail Film Festival selections at its event in Paris, April 24–26, 2026.
Festival directors Scott Cross and Sean Cross will also join the ÉCU Paris submission jury, while ÉCU Founder Scott Hillier will serve on the Vail Film Festival jury. The Vail Film Festival will further enhance its programming with French–American industry panels, filmmaker workshops, and a masterclass led by a French filmmaker—all designed to encourage dialogue, creative exchange, and future collaboration. This cultural conduit will provide French filmmakers with enhanced visibility and direct access to North American audiences.
The Vail Film Festival will also launch a French and Francophone Screenplay Competition, open exclusively to writers from France and the Francophone world. The initiative is designed to support the creation of new French and Francophone works and to strengthen transatlantic artistic exchange by promoting emerging French voices in screenwriting.
A key pillar of this partnership is a shared dedication to gender equality and representation within the industry. Both the Vail Film Festival and ÉCU Paris have distinguished themselves as champions of female filmmakers and advocates for gender parity in global cinema. This mutual commitment ensures that the promoted Francophone content reflects a diverse, inclusive, and contemporary artistic landscape.
For more than two decades, the Vail Film Festival has maintained a deep and sustained relationship with French cinema. The festival has consistently highlighted French films and welcomed French artists—screening Julie Delpy and Ethan Hawke’s Academy Award–nominated Before Sunset in 2004, and honoring Julie Delpy with the Vail Vanguard Award in 2017.
“The Vail Film Festival has always been committed to cultural exchange and to celebrating the richness of French cinema,” said festival co-director Scott Cross. “Our partnership with ÉCU deepens that long-standing bond and expands opportunities for filmmakers on both continents. For us, the central goal is to significantly elevate the visibility of French film across North America.”
ÉCU Founder and Festival Director Scott Hillier added: “We’re excited to collaborate with the Vail Film Festival and are glad they share our humble vision of trying to make the world a little better—one independent film at a time.” Additional programming details, invited filmmakers, and masterclass announcements will be released in 2026.
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About the Colorado Film Institute
The Vail Film Festival is staged annually by the Colorado Film Institute, a 501(c)3 nonprofit arts organization dedicated to supporting independent filmmakers and advancing film culture.
Press Team
Vail Film Festival
info@vailfilmfestival.org
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