‘Amazing’ Or ‘Ħamallu’? Malta Reacts To First Edition Of The Film Awards
The first edition of the Malta Film Awards took place last night – and Malta’s been left divided over what to make of the event.
With some segments of the Maltese film sector praising the event for recognising the work of actors, producers and other crew members on local productions, other people noticed that some of the biggest names in Maltese film were absent from the show.
And it’s no wonder since many had decided to boycott it over the money spent on the show.
Filmmakers, people involved the in art scene and government officials all had something to say about last night’s show
1. Projects director at the Malta Tourism Authority Lionel Gerada praised the event, calling it an “amazing show”.
2. And presenter Chris Spiteri noted the different reactions to the show, urging artists to work together in future if the sector had any hope of prospering.
3. Actor and MTA’s Noel Zarb said the show celebrated “100 years of film-making history”.
4. And director Steven Dalli couldn’t hide his excitement over the awards show, saying:
“I salute all my fellow friends and people in this industry, I know how much they struggle every day. Only if we stick together, we can continue to flourish and achieve great results both locally and internationally. Nominated or not, awarded or not, we are all part of this celebration today.”
5. Former film commissioner Oliver Mallia shared an image from the show alongside an image from the 2019 Icelandic Film Awards, noting how “astounding” the contrast between the two shows was.
“Malta’s stage looks like it is competing to take over the Oscars and the other is an uncomplicated stage with limited lighting, no statues or orchestra and no foreign host.”
“However, the contrasts are not only limited to the choice of venue and stage.”
“Unlike Malta, Iceland actually has a film industry and a real reason to celebrate not every hundred years but every year. The small country produces around 10 feature films per annum and exports numerous TV series. Various Icelandic films are constantly selected and awarded at prestigious film festivals – at the awards that really count.”
“The country also offers a cash-rebate and attracts numerous foreign productions to their shores but above all they mostly care about their own stories and thus, they spend public money carefully and mostly to produce their own films.”
“I hope after this evening’s craziness a lesson is learnt.”
6. Simshar director Rebecca Cremona explained why she had decided not to participate in the evening’s show.
“We felt there was the need to make out voices heard, and to call on the authorities to prioritise action.”
7. As did director Abigail Mallia, who listed a number of local productions that were not included in the awards show, including Deceduti, Evangelisti, Merjen, Miraklu and Limestone Cowboy.
8. Brikkuni singer Mario Vella called out some of the awards and who they were awarded to, saying the show confirmed how Malta truly was made up of “ħamalli” (chavs).
9. And Kaxxaturi’s Jon Mallia noted that the only thing the awards show got right was hiring UK host David Walliams.
10. Producer Howard Keith Debono entered the discussion to point out how large parts of the audience weren’t following COVID-19 restrictions – restrictions that have caused major issues for event organisers over the last few months and years.
The Malta Film Awards took place in the Mediterranean Conference Centre, believed to have cost around €400,000. You can find a full list of last night’s winners by following this link.
How did you react to the Malta Film Awards?
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