An American film distributor has acquired the rights to distribute an awarding-winning Maltese film across North America. 

Luzzu, filmed by Alex Camilleri and produced by Rebecca Anastasi, Ramin Bahrani, Camilleri and Oliver Mallia, was the first Maltese film ever to premiere at the prestigious Sundance Festival earlier this year with Jesmark Scicluna, a real Maltese fisherman, winning Special Jury Award for his role in the film.

Riding on the wave of success and critical acclaim, Kino Lorber, an American film distributor, has acquired the rights to distribute the film across cinemas in North America. 

“Nothing is more exciting than to see the emergence of a new filmmaking talent, and I suspect Luzzu is just the first of many great things to come from Alex Camilleri,” Kino Lorber’s senior VP Wendy Lidell told Variety.

Luzzu depicts the homegrown tale of the two real fishermen as they come to terms with the hardships of their industry in the modern age, turning towards an illegal black market to care for their family and livelihood.

“It’s been incredibly gratifying to see the response to ‘Luzzu’ — while the setting of Malta is unique, the theme of weighing tradition against survival is universal,” said Camilleri.

“I can’t wait for audiences to connect with our phenomenal cast and the rich world of Malta’s fishermen,” he added.

Luzzu has received nothing but praise since its premiere at Sundance with a Rotten Tomatoes rating of 100% following 21 reviews by reputable film critics. 

The movie has yet to be released to a general audience but North America will soon be able to get a glimpse of the Meditteranean through the eyes of a struggling fisherman.  

However, local film enthusiasts will have to wait a while longer until the film hits the big screens with no indication as to when the film will premiere in Malta.

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