Maltese film Żejtune has its North American premiere
Premieres in France, Spain and Croatia next
Żejtune, the latest feature film by Maltese filmmaker Alex Camilleri, celebrated its North American Premiere on Saturday at the Tribeca Film Festival in Manhattan, where it is competing in the festival's International Competition.
Director Alex Camilleri, producers Oliver Mallia and Ramin Bahrani, lead actress Michela Farrugia and actor Nenu Borg were in New York for the festival. Members of the Maltese diaspora living in the city were also among those attending.
The team at the Tribeca festival.Following the screening, the delegation participated in a Q&A with audiences. At the conclusion, Borg treated attendees to an impromptu performance of spirtu pront (Maltese traditional singing).
A second screening was held on Sunday, while the film's final festival screening will take place on 11 June.
Award winners will be announced on Thursday 11 June.
Co-founded by Academy Award-winning actor Robert De Niro, the Tribeca Film Festival is one of the leading cultural events in the United States and a major platform for international cinema. The festival's International Competition showcases a selection of films from around the world and is regarded as one of the festival's most prestigious sections.
The film is currently in its tenth week of release in Malta and continues to screen at Embassy Cinemas in Valletta. It has to date been watched by approximately 9,000 cinemagoers across Malta and Gozo, making it one of the highest-grossing Maltese films in recent years. It is currently the most-watched film of the year at Spazju Kreattiv and the third most-watched title of the year at Embassy Cinemas.
Żejtune continues its international festival journey during June with premieres at the Festival du Film de Cabourg in France, Cinema Jove in Valencia, Spain, and the Mediterranean Film Festival in Split, Croatia.
The film follows Mar, a young woman determined to leave Malta behind, whose plans are disrupted by an encounter with an ageing għana singer whose music reconnects her with the island's traditions and cultural heritage.
Produced by Pellikola, Solari Productions and Noruz Films, Żejtune is a Maltese-German coproduction made in collaboration with One Two Films, ZDF Das kleine Fernsehspiel and arte.