31/05/2023 - The official competition will showcase nine titles, some of which include festival hits such as Mario Martone’s Nostalgia, Alice Diop’s Saint Omer and Carla Simón’s Alcarràs

Announced at the beginning of May (see the news), Malta’s brand-new Mediterrane Film Festival promises to be an “annual event celebrating the diverse stories, talents and cultures from nine Mediterranean countries”, aiming “to foster collaboration, growth and opportunities for filmmakers while promoting Malta's rich cultural heritage and its role as a world-class film hub”. The event is set to showcase films from each of the MED9 countries (an alliance of nine Mediterranean and Southern European Union member states – namely, Croatia, Cyprus, France, Greece, Italy, Malta, Portugal, Slovenia and Spain).

At an international briefing held during this year’s Cannes Film Festival on 20 May, Malta Film Commissioner Johann Grech announced the details of the event’s first edition, set to unspool from 25-30 June. Also in attendance was Adrian Wootton OBE, CEO of Film London and the British Film Commission, who will also serve as the head of the jury. The other jury members include Croatian actor Zlatko Burić, Cypriot filmmaker Tonia Mishiali, French actress and director Vahina Giocante, Greek producer Amanda Livanou, Italian film critic and journalist Boris Sollazzo, Maltese film analyst and critic Mario Azzopardi, Portuguese journalist and programmer José Vieira Mendes, Slovenian film critic and journalist Tina Poglajen, and Spanish programmer and critic Carlos Reviriego.

The nine selected films will be in competition for awards that will be presented during the festival’s closing ceremony, as well as being accessible to the public. The titles include official Academy Award submissions in the International Feature Film category, and some of the big European hits of last year’s festival season.

Representing Italy and France, the selection includes two titles that world-premiered at A-list festivals – namely, Mario Martone’s Naples-set drama Nostalgia [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Mario Martone
interview: Pierfrancesco Favino
film profile] (Italy/France), starring Pierfrancesco Favino and Tommaso Ragno in the leading roles, which premiered at last year’s Cannes Film Festival; and the Venice 2022 title Saint Omer [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Alice Diop
interview: Kayije Kagame
film profile] by Alice Diop, whose cast is led by Kayije Kagame, Guslagie Malanda and Valérie Dréville.

For Greece, the festival will screen Yorgos Goussis’s feature debut, Magnetic Fields [+see also:
film review
film profile], which scooped six prizes at the Hellenic Film Awards last year and won the Golden Alexander at Thessaloniki in 2021.

Spain will have a presence in the guise of Carla Simón’s Golden Bear winner Alcarràs [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Carla Simón
interview: Carla Simón
interview: Giovanni Pompili
film profile] (Spain/Italy), whilst Cristèle Alves Meira’s Alma Viva [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Cristèle Alves Meira
film profile] (Portugal/France/Belgium) will take part in the competition on behalf of Portugal.

Finally, the line-up is rounded off by Yianna Americanou’s .Dog [+see also:
film review
film profile] (Cyprus/Greece), Valerie Buhagiar’s Carmen (Canada/Malta), Matevz Luzar’s Orchestra [+see also:
film review
film profile] (Slovenia) and Juraj Lerotić’s Safe Place [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Juraj Lerotić
film profile] (Croatia/Slovenia).

Commenting on the prospects for this first edition of the event, Grech said: “We are proud to present such a diverse and powerful showcase of Mediterranean cinema at the Mediterrane Film Festival. We aim to foster collaboration with the MED9 nations. Although we are nine different nations, together we are greater. It's also an honour to have Mr Wootton as the head of our esteemed jury. Their collective expertise will undoubtedly enrich the festival.”

Finally, Wootton added: “I’m delighted to serve as the head of the jury for the Mediterrane Film Festival. The selected films represent the vitality and diversity of Mediterranean cinema. This collaboration highlights the ongoing partnership between the British Film Commission and the Malta Film Commission.”