Feature film Żejtune sells to 14 countries
Official trailer for the film, which will premiere in Malta on March 18, is now out
The new feature film by Maltese filmmaker Alex Camilleri Żejtune, has sold to 14 countries following its world premiere at the Göteborg Film Festival at the end of January.
Through the film’s international sales agent, Films Boutique, the film has secured distribution in France, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, North Macedonia, Kosovo, Montenegro, Albania and Singapore.
The film will be released in cinemas across Malta and Gozo on April 8 after premiering on March 18.
It will have a nationwide theatrical release, screening at Eden Cinemas in St Julian’s, Embassy Cinemas and Spazju Kreattiv in Valletta, and Citadel Cinemas in Gozo.
The film will have its official Malta premiere at Eden Cinemas on March 18, and audiences will also have the opportunity to meet the filmmakers and engage in post-screening discussions at two special Q&A screenings: at Citadel Cinemas in Gozo on March 30, and at Embassy Cinemas in Valletta on April 6.
Żejtune tells the story of Mar, played by Michela Farrugia, a young woman ready to leave the tiny island of Malta behind.
The death of her estranged mother offers her a way out through the inheritance of three pieces of land she intends to sell. As she embarks on a journey to claim her inheritance, Mar meets Nenu, portrayed by Nenu Borg - a veteran għana singer making his screen debut at the age of 82 - whose vibrant folk music draws her into the colourful traditions of an island she is desperate to escape.
The film is produced by Oliver Mallia of Pellikola, Ramin Bahrani of Noruz Films and Alex Camilleri of Solari Productions, with co-producers Fred Burle and Sol Bondy of One Two Films, alongside Rebecca Anastasi.
It was made in co-production with ZDF Das kleine Fernsehspiel and in association with arte, Films Boutique and Nizza Films.
Alongside Farrugia and Borg, the film features a wide range of local castmembers, including the screen debut of Maltese singer-songwriter Michael Azzopardi in the role of Anġlu, and veteran Maltese actress Frida Cauchi as Mar’s aunt, Annette.
The film was made with the financial support of the Malta Film Commission, Arts Council Malta, the Doha Film Institute and the Ministry for Gozo and Planning.