Maltese Film Wave: 5 recent Maltese-made films worth a watch!

With the recent release of Luzzu (2021) receiving widespread attention and acclaim, viewers’ interest in Maltese film should be piqued once more if it hadn’t been before. Luzzu is part of a new wave of Maltese-made films spanning from the mid-2010s to early 2020s.

2014’s Simshar could be seen as the beginning of this wave, following a relatively release-shy span of years. Including Simshar, we'll be covering 5 acclaimed Maltese films produced since then, and what they're all about. All are definitely worth a watch... or at least keeping an eye on before they're released for viewing!

Simshar (2014)

Simshar, inspired by real events, relates to its audience the story of the Maltese crew of the fishing vessel Simshar, who become stranded in the Mediterranean after the boat catches fire. Concurrently, a Maltese medic finds himself stuck on a ship aiding irregular migrants while the ship itself is bureaucratically shirked from both Italian and Maltese shores.

Simshar was directed by writer and then-first-time director Rebecca Cremona. It stars Lotfi Abdelli, Jimi Busuttil and Sékouba Doucouré who together with the rest of the cast and story itself, intelligently illuminate parallels in the two scenarios portrayed in this film. The film was completed on a €1 million budget.

Being the oldest film in the lot we're going over today, it's also perhaps to more readily available. You can find it on most major streaming platforms, search it up and watch... it's worth your time!

Limestone Cowboy (2017)

Limestone Cowboy follows the story of the elderly Karist, a Maltese man set on becoming prime minister of the isles. He wants to do so through independent means as he is repeatedly dismissed as a crackpot by the political party his family has been loyal to for generations. Karist espouses American Cowboy values, namedropping and quoting actors from Westerns. It is implied that he suffers from trauma-induced mental illness, or at least delusions, which will plague his route forward.

Cowboy is Abigail Mallia's directorial debut. With a €1 million budget, Mallia along with writing from her brother Jon (whose Kaxxaturi web series is also worth taking a look at) and Carlos Debattista craft a story that itself becomes the obvious star of this film. Karist is brought to life by Paul Portelli, with supporting roles by Paul Cilia and Davide Tucci.

If you haven't watched this film yet, I recommend you find the time to do so. It's available for rent on Vimeo. If you're into human stories with added local flair then this is right up your alley! 

The Weeping House of Qala (2018)

This one's for you horror and thriller fans! The Weeping House of Qala is a haunted-house horror/thriller film about a documentary film crew investigating an abandoned farmhouse in the village of Qala, Gozo. The characters initially approach their job jokingly and with ease, but their moods quickly shift within a few moments of stepping foot inside.

The film's director Mark Doneo has called it "a Maltese mystery dressed up as a horror movie". Doneo also stars as one of the leads, part of the documentary film crew tasked with exploring the house. In aid of Doneo's dual roles is co-director Keith Albert Tedesco and co-writer Mikiel Camilleri, with supporting cast roles by Louise Doneo, and Lawrence Buontempo. The film was created with an estimated budget of €150,000.

While it has already premiered in Malta, it's still awaiting widespread release, so keep a look out for when that comes around! If you have a penchant for horror and local mystery, then you really can't miss out on this one!

The Boat (2018)

Another horror/thriller here! The Boat is about a fisherman who discovers and abandoned sailing boat floating by itself in the middle of the sea, shrouded in a deep fog. His curiosity gets the better of him as he boards the sailing boat to investigate, only to end up stranded once the small fishing boat he was originally on disappears. To his chagrin, the sailing boat does not seem to be in working order and his every move is antagonized by unknown forces.

The boat was created on a €5,000,000 budget and was directed by Winston Azzopardi, whose son Joe was the sole actor. The two of them also wrote the film themselves, with it being the only one in English out of the four films covered in this article... although that's not saying much considering that dialogue stays very much backstage in this film, with Joe's performance delivering all the communication needed.

2018 seemed to be the year for Maltese horror/thrillers, and this one definitely deserves a watch, enjoying relative popularity due to it's comparatively widespread release with it being available on services such as Amazon Prime. Give it a go, but make sure not to get sea sick, we still have one maritime-related film left to cover!

Luzzu (2021)

Luzzu is a human story about a Maltese fisherman who is finding it increasingly difficult to sustain a living through his job. The film follows him as he struggles towards the ability to sustain his wife and newborn, through black market practices which seem like his last and only hope against poverty.

The film is written and directed by Maltese-American Alex Camilleri and is his debut. Jesmark Scicluna, a real Maltese fisherman from Siġġiewi, plays the lead role with support from Michela Farrugia and David Scicluna. Jesmark has described his selection as lead actor as "all by luck", being approached for the role along with his cousin David by the casting director seemingly at random, and believing they were in for just a commercial.

Luzzu had a limited release this January at Sundance to excellent reviews and while it hasn't been released on the isles themselves just yet, this writer can't wait to get to watch it, as should you!