Award-winning Luzzu is the first ever Maltese film to be chosen to form part of the European Film Awards Feature Film Selection alongside Oscar-winning titles The Father and Promising Young Woman.

Luzzu tells the fictional story of Jesmark, a struggling fisherman who is forced to turn his back on generations of tradition and risk everything by entering the world of black-market fishing to provide for his wife and new-born baby.

Jesmark Scicluna, a fisherman from Siġġiewi and the lead actor of the acclaimed film, won the World Cinema Dramatic Special Jury Award in Acting at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival for his debut performance.

The Maltese-language drama has since won awards at a number of prestigious festivals around the world, including the Boston and Sofia International Film Festivals.

The longlisted films, a second group of which will be announced in September, will be recommended for nomination for the European Film Awards.

Then, over 4,000 members of the European Film Academy will vote for the nominees in the following feature film categories: European Film, Director, Actor, Actress and Screenwriter.

Such nominees will be announced on 9th November 2021 during the Seville European Film Festival.

The actual European Film Awards will be taking place in December in Berlin, and it will be the 34th time that this esteemed event will be taking place.

The jury will also select winners in the categories: European Cinematography, Editing, Production Design, Costume Design, Makeup and Hair, Original Score, Sound and Visual Effects.

The film, directed by Alex Camilleri and starring Jesmark, Michela Farrugia and David Scicluna in the principal roles, will have its first theatrical release at the Eden Cinemas
in Malta on the 8th September 2021.

What do you think of their potential nomination?