Second short films festival starts in July

The second edition of the Malta International TV Short Film Festival will be broadcast between July and September on TVM.

"It promises to strengthen its objectives to offer a platform for local talent in film-making to the largest and most diverse audience possible, to function as an educational forum for film appreciation and to promote Malta as a country with a strong reputation in the organisation of quality film festivals," the promoters said.

Broadcasting Authority statistics published last year indicated that the televised festival's audience was positive about it when compared to other cultural programmes, especially in the prime-time bracket. In fact, the first edition of the Malta International TV Short Film Festival won Best Cultural Programme in the Vodafone Malta TV Awards last Saturday.

The organising committee said it held several events to promote the culture of short films in Malta over the year. In September, for example, for the first time ever, the Manhattan Shorts, a prestigious international festival, was brought over.