Written by Joe Jackson on Oct 1, 2021. Posted in Awards and Festivals

The first Malta Film Awards now open for submissions

In honour of local cast and crew across the Maltese film and television industry, the first ever Malta Film Awards is now accepting submissions. The event’s theme Celebrating our Story aims to recognise the nation’s existing filmmaking legacies while, at the same time, honouring the latest wave of the Mediterranean archipelago’s incoming film talent.

The ceremony’s official deadline has been set for 9 October 2021 by the Malta Film Commission, the organising body who are launching the event. The first ever edition of the awards will be held at the Mediterranean Conference Centre in February 2022, and an industry panel of selected local and international professionals will serve as the competition’s jury. Film Commissioner Johann Grech declares that the ceremony will celebrate ”our people’s ambition and our crew’s ability that kept our film industry working, from one generation to the next. The tagline chosen of Celebrating our story pays tribute to all those who dreamt to make a production and all those dreaming to be part of Malta’s Film and TV industry.”

The Malta Film Commission was established in 2000, yet the country’s legacy as a prime destination for film production stems back to Hollywood’s first ‘Golden’ period over ninety years ago, when the era’s most high-profile productions would flock to the Maltese islands. Assassin’s Creed, Munich, Murder on the Orient Express and World War Z have all ventured to the scenic destination since the most recent turn of the century, and the implementation of new filmmaking strategies in recent years has resulted in exceptional growth for the local industry. Over fifty productions filmed have injected EUR200 million into the national economy through foreign investment.

The Malta Film Commission has decided to partner with the Public Broadcasting Services to coordinate the event. Mark Sammut, Executive Chairman of the Public Broad Services, states that two national organising bodies “are joining forces to award the efforts and creativity of all those who have worked in local television and film, throughout this story of success.” Sammut’s colleague Carmelo Abela observes that Malta has hosted some of industry’s most prestigious names, punching far above the weight that one might typically attribute to a nation of its size. “A small country, but a great nation,” he declares. “[Malta is] a winning nation, where talent always stood out.”