09/08/2023 - In total, the body has awarded over €1.54 million to 19 new local productions

Directors Alex Camilleri (left) and Peter Sant, who have received funding for Zejtune and Background Sound, respectively

Last week, the Malta Film Commission announced the beneficiaries of its first-ever Creative Malta scheme, officially launched last December. Designed “to better meet the industry’s needs” and “to strengthen local productions further”, during this first round of funding, the body has awarded a total of over €1.54 million for the making of 19 new projects. Moreover, the Malta Film Commission has recently extended its cash rebate, which can now reach up to 50% for local productions.

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The two grants of the biggest magnitude went to Alex Camilleri (Luzzu [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Alex Camilleri
film profile]), of Solari Productions, for the production of his second feature, Zejtune (€380,000), and to Peter Sant (Of Time and the Sea [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Peter Sant
film profile]), of Hereonin, for his new effort Background Sound (€300,000).

The other production bursaries went to Fabrizio Fenech for Unur, Fama Gloria (€20,000, an Anomaly Limited presentation), Hristijan Kostovski for The Unity (€4,000, produced by Somnium Es), Joseph Azzopardi for Xelter (€190,000, staged by 10th Man Pictures), Justin Farrugia for Kamra 432 (€259,610, produced by Sharpshoot Media), Keith Tedesco for The Home Straight (€94,000, a production by Lampa Stampa Ltd), Oliver Mallia for Mother Dearest (€30,000, produced by Pellikola) and Sebastian Peiter for Pirates and Slaves (€70,000, staged by Urban Canyons).

Finally, smaller grants for screenwriting, development and festival distribution were bestowed upon Abigail Mallia for Blu Skies – Season 1: The Jenny Wilder Tapes (a screenwriting grant worth €30,000, produced by Take Two/Storyhouse), Hristijan Kostovski for Beautiful Lie (a festival distribution grant of €1,300, produced by Somnium Es), Justin Farrugia for The Women of George Cross Island (a festival distribution grant worth €700, a Sharpshoot Media production), Keith Tedesco for Tradizioni (a screenwriting grant worth €10,300, produced by Lampa Stampa Ltd), Mark Doneo for The Disappearance of Kelly Sinclair (a screenwriting grant worth €21,000, produced by Mad Movies Productions), Matt Hookings for The Lost Book of Creation (a screenwriting grant worth €30,000, a Camelot Films presentation), Michael Carol Bartolo for It-Traġedja (a development grant worth €20,000, produced by Limestone Pictures Limited), Roger Zammit for Lost in a Stream (a development grant worth €25,000, staged by Pineapple Media Ltd), and Jean-Pierre Debattista for Best Friends with Fonzu the Rabbit (a development grant worth €34,248, a Toontuloon Limited production) and The Pincher Slayer (a screenwriting grant worth €22,000, staged by the same outfit).