Nine short films produced by over 100 BOV employees were premiered during a gala night at the Grandmasters’ Suite of the Hilton Malta, Portomaso.

During the red carpet event, BOV staff together with their family and friends were wowed by the productions of the competing teams.

The project started seven months ago, driven by the BOV Sports and Social Club and Hands On Malta.

Hands On provided intensive training in the art of film production and editing techniques, along with access to the equipment and the support of on-site expert advice.

The teams had to come up with a concept, develop a script and a storyboard and procure the props. In a nutshell, they had to direct and produce a film – no mean feat, considering they had to do it all without a budget.

The plots of the nine productions dealt with different genres, from drama to comedy. The overall winner was Ftakar, a production that touched upon dementia and the struggle of living with it on a daily basis. Life of Pin, showing life as perceived by an ATM, won the coveted People’s Choice award.

To the laughter and clapping of everyone present, members of the bank’s executive committee participated in a production of their own – BOV 007.

The bank’s chief executive officer Charles Borg presented winners with the awards, saying the project was a challenge for the teams. “By working together as a team, you all rose to the challenge, and the results speak for themselves,” he said.

The BOV Film Festival 2013 was the brainchild of the organising committee of the BOV Sports and Social Club. Every year, the challenge for the voluntary team forming this club is to create a schedule of activities involving employees and their families. Most of the events are sold out on the day of the launch, which is the best compliment for the organisers.