A Siġġiewi fisherman has described his shock at being honoured for his acting at an international film festival.

Jesmark Scicluna, the star of Maltese film Luzzu, was handed the World Cinema Dramatic Special Jury Award in Acting at the Sundance Film Festival on Tuesday night.

Judges praised Scicluna for bringing a sense of “mystery” to his eponymous role as Jesmark, a struggling fisherman forced into the black market trade to provide for his wife and newborn baby.

But the 28-year-old told Times of Malta that his successful foray into acting came entirely by chance.

“It was all by luck that I landed this opportunity,” Scicluna said.

“One day, my cousin and co-star David Scicluna and I were working on our fishing nets in Għar Lapsi when (director) Alex Camilleri and Edward Said, the casting director, approached us telling us they were looking for two men our age to take part in a movie.”

They both said yes to the project, believing they were taking part in a commercial. Two years of hard work later, he was up in the early hours of the morning to receive his award.

“Considering this is the first time I ever acted, it was all so unexpected and I was left speechless,” he said.

Luzzu, which is directed by Maltese-American writer and director Camilleri and produced by Rebecca Anastasi, Ramin Bahrani and Oliver Mallia, made its world premiere at the festival over the weekend to rave reviews.

Scicluna said the film’s success is a product of working with Camilleri and the crew, building the story that would ultimately develop into Luzzu, named after the traditional fish boat.

“We were not just actors but we worked hands on with the team and crew, which made the experience so much better.”

Scicluna, who has been fishing since childhood, said one of the hardest things about being in front of the camera was slowing down the pace during the scenes. What came so naturally for Scicluna and other fishermen, such as releasing a fishing net, was too fast for the camera to catch.

He also thanked Camilleri and the crew who provided him all the necessary tips, practice and rehearsals on how to act for the camera.

The Maltese language film has received positive reviews from leading film critics such as Guy Lodge from Variety, who called it “an honest, affecting slab of working-class portraiture” and Wendy Ide, from Screen Daily, who said it is an “impressive feature debut”.

Representing the World Cinema jury, Turkish producer Zeynep Atakan said of Scicluna: “Acting is more than magic, it’s mystery. Among the biggest mysteries of acting sometimes you find people that bring a message along with them. That is pure biograph and it transcends the body.”

The father-of-one said he was excited to see what Maltese viewers would think about the film when it finally is screened here.

“Seeing all the positive reviews is amazing and we hope that the movie will receive the same, if not better, reviews from local audience once it is realised in Malta,” he said.

Scicluna explained that the film highlights the hardships which fishermen, like himself, face in maintaining a family and continuing the local fishing tradition.

And, after his debut appearance, he seems to have caught the acting bug.

Revealing that he is already working on another acting project, Scicluna said he was keen for more.

“I would definitely do another film, especially if it promotes our country and language the same way Luzzu has,” he said.

Luzzu was made with the support of the Malta Film Fund and financial incentives provided by the Malta Film Commission and the government.