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This Maltese-Australian Filmmaker Is Making A Name For Herself Internationally With Her Innovative Improvised Films

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Sarah Jayne Portelli is a Maltese-Australian writer, director and filmmaker who has called Malta her home for the past few years. Her work focuses on creating female-led pieces that explore what it means to be a woman in today’s world.

Sarah Jayne started her film and television career as a Production Designer in 2006. She has worked on numerous short films in various art department roles and with Australian industry heavyweights, and has since been working with a production company called Nexus Production Group (NPG).

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In May, NPG will be hosting their first ever Maltese screening of their first improvised film Friends, Foes & Fireworks

The film was shot in a single night on New Year’s Eve a couple of years ago, and was completely improvised. Friends, Foes & Fireworks is an ambitious drama exploring relationships, love, friendship, and the truths we try but fail to keep to ourselves.

After the screening, the directors will discuss how they managed to film an entire feature in one night without a script, while also answering questions from the audience.

Sarah Jayne has also directed second improvised film, In Corpore, that was partially shot in Malta and features local actors Naomi Said and Chris Dingli.

Set in Europe, Australia, and America, In Corpore tackles traditional relationships and the idea of breaking free of expectations, exploring what it means to give in to your body’s desires, with and without moral judgement or shame.

She’s also worked with Katherine Langford, star of hit TV show 13 Reasons Why, on a short film called Daughter

The main themes explored in the film are violence against women and victim blaming. The story explores what women deal with on a day to day basis as active members of society, and is shown through the eyes of the three varying female characters, who separately venture out into town on a Friday night and become affected by an act of violence.

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