A documentary about Malta’s street cats by husband-and-wife filmmakers Sarah Jayne Portelli and Ivan Malekin has been enjoyed by hundreds of filmgoers in theatres not just in Malta but in Australia, America, South Korea, Canada and across Japan.

The documentary, Cats of Malta, was directed, shot and edited by the couple, who also made use of crowdfunding.

Hailing from Australia but with Maltese roots, Portelli hoped to achieve two dreams with Cats of Malta.

A poster of Cats of Malta, or better known as Nekoshima, spotted at a Japanese cinema.

“We wanted to screen the film in Malta and in a Japanese cat-café,” she told Times of Malta.

“I wanted a screening in a cat café, as I knew the Japanese have a huge love for cat culture, and, this way, they could watch the documentary surrounded by cats!”

While the documentary was not screened in a cat café, it went on to feature in 13 Japanese cities.

“We were thrilled when it went to the cinemas, where you could really experience people’s laughter and the moments their hearts ached for the cats.”

During the summer of 2020, in the peak of the coronavirus pandemic, the couple would test their Black Magic pocket cinema camera to film the lives of street cats that roamed the Sliema front.

Sarah Jayne Portelli while filming in a cat sanctuary.

While exploring and documenting the cat colonies and sanctuaries, the couple met the feeders and tireless volunteers who take care of the cats.

Inspired by the Turkish documentary Kedi, which focused on the lives of Turkish street cats, the couple thought Cats of Malta could work as a feature-length documentary, with the central point revolving around the unbreakable bond between cats and humans.

In 2021, the film was first screened in Malta and, in the following years, it starred in numerous film festivals in Melbourne, New York, Canada and Seoul.

The couple were excited to see the reviews flood in and knowing viewers enjoyed learning about the tiny island’s love for the four-legged furry companion.

‘Cat island’

Yet, the best was yet to come and, in December 2024, Cats of Malta finally made its way to Japan and was screened to a select audience in the Hibiya Library and Museum in Tokyo.

We just filmed the cats in their natural setting. We were just filming cats being cats

“We were invited to the screening and to an interesting Q&A session afterwards,” she said.

Cats of Malta poster in one of the Japanese cinemas.

She recalled how the Japanese viewers asked her questions about living in Malta, about the cats’ personalities and the behind-the-scenes action of filming cats.

“I remember telling them that we just filmed the cats in their natural setting and didn’t try to get them in any positions. We were just filming cats being cats.”

And that was not the last screening in the land of the rising sun.

In January, Cats of Malta screened again in Japan, this time not in a library or cat café but in cinemas across 13 different cities.

For its Japanese release, the film was titled Nekoshima which translates to ‘Cat Island’, and filmgoers were provided with merchandise relating to the documentary.

Filming cats in their natural state, Ivan surrounded by felines as he tries to get the best shot.

“It’s part of their culture to make merchandise relating to different films, and the cinemas had Cats of Malta posters and tote bags, which was very sweet,” she recalled.

The cinema run lasted from January to April and was also released in Onomichi, the city of cats in rural Hiroshima.

The Arts Council Malta, Visit Malta's Japan office supported the screenings. The screenings and Japanese release were also promoted by the film’s Japanese distributor, Fine Films Japan.

“When we were informed that the film was going to be used to promote Malta, I thought, why not? Our film was screening in cinemas, and it was a way to promote our country, with the hope of bringing more Japanese tourists.”

Back in April, the documentary was made available on YouTube to buy or rent. There are also ongoing works for the film to be made available on DVD, for Japan release only.

 Cats of Malta can be streamed through Apple TV and Google Play.