In a few short years, the Valletta Film Festival has become one of the most eagerly-awaited events in Malta’s cultural calendar. Indeed, in its first three years, numerous venues across Valletta’s peninsula – indoors and out – have hosted the screening of myriad films in a celebration of international cinema.
The fourth edition of the VFF launches on Friday at Pjazza Teatru Rjal, and the organisers from the Film Grain Foundation are currently putting together the finishing touches.
The VFF has had a very successful run over the past three years. As Rebecca Anastasi, one of the organisers and the festival’s programmer, comments, the challenges of keeping the festival fresh while replicating the success it has enjoyed so far are many.
“The team behind the VFF is completely passionate about film so we hope that translates in keeping the festival fresh,” she says. “There are many great films being made today, the challenge is in trying to choose which ones should go into the programme. We always try to keep in mind anything our audiences can relate to, while, at the same time, trying to give them new experiences.
“We’re a young festival, so it’s always tough to get the films and guests we’ve selected, but we’ve been very blessed so far,” she says.
As in previous years, the selection is eclectic, with over 40 films and numerous shorts being screened over the festival’s 10-day run. Entries are from across the globe – from the Americas to the Far East and Australia; and from Africa and across Europe. Malta features prominently both in the Short Film category and in the Special Screenings Section.
Seven feature films will compete for five Triton awards adjudicated by a feature film jury. These are Best Feature Film, Best Director, Best Performance, Best Cinematographer and Best Screenplay.
It’s always tough to get the films and guests we’ve selected, but we’ve been very blessed so far
Seven documentaries will compete for Best Documentary and Best Cinematography for Documentary and 24 short films are up for the Best Short Film Prize. Award winners will be announced during the closing ceremony on June 16.
As in previous years, the festival will feature three sidebar events – Without Borders, which this year focuses on cinema from East Asia; the Islanders category, celebrating productions that are mainly set on or produced by filmmakers that are residents of an island; and the Teens Only Category. All films in the festival are eligible for the Valletta Film Festival Audience Award.
This year’s Master of Cinema section will celebrate two titans of cinema. The VFF is celebrating the centenary of the birth of the legendary Swedish filmmaker Ingmar Bergman with the screening two of his best-known films, The Seventh Seal and Wild Strawberries.
In addition, the festival will welcome acclaimed director, writer, and artist Peter Greenaway. In a career spanning over 50 years, Greenaway has worked in the worlds of art, cinema, TV and other media. He will be celebrated at the VFF with a screening of the documentary The Greenaway Alphabet, directed by his wife Saskia Boddeke and featuring their daughter Pip, while three of his films will be screened. Greenaway will be also be conducting a master class entitled ‘Water’, on the roster with other master classes and lectures planned for the festival.
The line-up is testament to the fact the organisers are certainly not sitting on their laurels.
“The festival is constantly evolving,” Rebecca says. “Since we’re still in our early years, we are still trying out some things. This year we have added a new venue, the Valletta Campus Theatre, which will host the Without Borders and Islanders sidebars, as well as some special screenings. It’s a site with so much cultural heritage, we are thrilled to welcome it as a VFF venue.”
The VFF is also offering some exciting fare for younger audiences. “In addition to the Teens Only sidebar, we’re also introducing new activities, such as workshops and film premieres for children,” says Anastasi. “We hope we can instil a passion for film in younger generations and show them the power of the art form, both in terms of giving them a voice, but also in opening their eyes to exciting new worlds beyond these shores.”
Anastasi is quietly confident they have another success on their hands as they reach out to film buffs of all stripes. “We believe that with a lot of hard work, dedication and, above all, persistence we can offer something which inspires others to love film and, perhaps, to make films as well. Our focus is on looking at films which can speak to us and connect us with other people from different countries and ways of life. The joy is in those connections.”
www.vallettafilmfestival.com