The Maltese Fighter, a locally produced short film in Maltese, has been selected to form part of the prestigious Louisiana International Film Festival next week.

The film, from Maltese company MaltaFilm and Spy Films (Toronto), is a fictional story based on a father-son relationship caught in the political violence and social unrest of 1970s Malta.

The protagonist, Carmelo, played by Malcolm Ellul, is a struggling single father and boxer from Valletta who is forced to join a corrupt underworld as he tries to provide for his only son.

It’s a new subject and a new language, probably a language many in the audience have never heard. The textures and ambience of Malta will be something very original

“Once the film was done, the most important thing was to get it exposed to as large an audience as possible,” said co-producer Joshua Cassar Gaspar. “The festival is where it’s most likely to be seen by the right people. It’s also just the start of the festival circuit for us. Being part of the Official Selection here is a very good indication for the future of the film.”

The Maltese Fighter will be one of the 23 short and 42 feature films chosen out of thousands of applications for a festival screening. The festival will take place in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, from May 7 to 10.

Malcolm Ellul plays Carmelo (inset) and Nico Fenech plays his son, Giuseppe (right).

Other highlights include Manglehorn, a romantic comedy starring Al Pacino and Holly Hunter, and Goodbye to Language, by the legendary French director Jean-Luc Godard.

Mr Cassar Gaspar said The Maltese Fighter would be accessible to an international audience while offering a uniquely Maltese product. “It’s a new subject and a new language, probably a language many in the audience will have never heard before. The textures and the ambience of Malta will also be something very original.”

The film is directed by up-and-coming Canadian director Arev Manoukian and produced by Mr Cassar Gaspar and Carlo Trulli, with a screenplay by Monika Maslowska. The director of photography is a Maltese, London-based cinematographer, Matthew Emvin Taylor.