ÉCU 2026 Categories
Discover the official competition categories and awards of ÉCU – The European Independent Film Festival.
European Independent Animated Film
Open to all European animated films made with less than 50% participation by a major studio or television broadcaster.
European Independent Dramatic Short
Open to all European short films made with less than 50% participation by a major studio or television broadcaster. Running time cannot exceed 30 minutes.
Non-European Independent Dramatic Short
Open to all non-European short films made with less than 50% participation by a major studio or television broadcaster. Running time cannot exceed 30 minutes.
European Independent Dramatic Feature
Open to all European feature films made with less than 50% participation by a major studio or television broadcaster.
Non-European Independent Dramatic Feature
Open to all non-European feature films made with less than 50% participation by a major studio or television broadcaster.
European Independent Documentary
Open to all European documentary films made with less than 50% participation by a major studio or television broadcaster.
Non-European Independent Documentary
Open to all non-European documentary films made with less than 50% participation by a major studio or television broadcaster.
European Independent Student Film
Open to all European student films made with less than 50% participation by a major studio or television broadcaster.
European Independent Experimental Film
Open to all European experimental films made with less than 50% participation by a major studio or television broadcaster.
European Independent Music Video
Open to all European music videos made with less than 50% participation by a major studio or television broadcaster.
European Independent Comedy Film
Open to all European comedy films made with less than 50% participation by a major studio or television broadcaster.
Arab Special Selection
ÉCU highlights independent Arab filmmakers competing for The Ahmed Khedr Award for Excellence in Arab Filmmaking.
Feature Script Competition
Scripts in English, French, Spanish, German, and Italian are considered for official selection.
Short Script Competition
Short screenplays competing in ÉCU’s official script competition.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) Film
This category features films created with the assistance of artificial intelligence technologies and explores new forms of storytelling and visual experimentation.