The theme of identity is taking centre stage at the 15th edition of the Kinemastik International Short Film Festival, which kicks off on Thursday at the Msida Bastion Historic Garden in Floriana.

The festival will open with a special screening of Boris Mitic’s award-winning satirical documentary In Praise of Nothing, which was filmed by 62 cinematographers in 70 countries and is narrated by legendary musician/songwriter Iggy Pop.

The film will be screened with subtitles in Maltese, translated by Miriam Calleja.

On Friday and Saturday, the main screen will show a selection of 17 award-winning films from 12 countries across the globe: from Europe to China and beyond, including entries from emerging Maltese film-makers.

These include Watermelon Juice by Spanish director Irene Moray, about a young woman who heals old wounds and redefines her identity while on holiday with a group of friends, and the French comedy All Inclusive, which follows a man’s adventures at a holiday resort after being dumped by his girlfriend.

Patrons at a previous edition of the film festival.

Spanish drama The Golden Legend, directed by Chema Gracía Lbarra and Ian de Sosa, delivers an almost utopian depiction of community as a group of people relax at a swimming pool, and Anna, a co-production between Ukraine, the UK and Israel, directed by Dekel Berenson, tells the story of a woman from war-torn eastern Ukraine who works in a meat processing plant but longs for a better life.

All films on the main screen will be adjudicated by an international jury

The programme also includes four Maltese works: the premiere of Unknown Ocean by Dolphin Club, an audiovisual duo based in Malta; two music videos, one by Francesca Mercieca and another one by Ian Schranz and Nick Theuma for local band Brikkuni; and Filfla, an animated film directed by Fabrizio Ellul that premiered at the Valletta Film Festival earlier this year.

Iggy Pop is the narrator of In Praise of Nothing.

All films on the main screen will be adjudicated by an international jury and are eligible for the Kinemastik Golden Dot award. The audience will also be able to vote and choose their favourite film.

Meanwhile, a selection of out-of-competition films will be shown in a secluded part of the garden.

After the screenings, patrons can also enjoy a number of musical acts. Thursday’s line-up will feature Kinemastik All Stars including: Wioletta Kulewska, Jon Banthorpe, Tom Van Malderen, Sandra Zaffarese; Friday will see sets by Felix (sunset mix), Dean Wengrow, and Capitol K; while Saturday will see live performances by Fattima Mahdi, Nigel Baldacchino, Uncle Al, Lucie Grace and Steph Von Reiswitz.

The cultural NGO is also celebrating the 10th anniversary of Little Rock People (LRP), its international children’s film festival, on Sunday. Curated by Jon Banthorpe, the programme includes 12 films, mostly concerned with the environment – from a post-apocalyptic lonely video game player, thoughts on plastic, meditations on a wave and a cross-community Catalunian tradition where the smallest of children play the most important role.

The main festival will take place from Thursday to Saturday at the Msida Bastion Historic Garden. Doors open at 7pm, and screenings start from 9pm. For more information, visit www.kinemastik.org.

Among the Maltese short films being screened at the festival will be the animated film Filfla, directed by Fabrizio Ellul.

Anna is a co-production between Ukraine, the UK and Israel.

The film All Inclusive

Junction, one of the films showing during the Little Rock People festival.