A courtesy visit by Ħamrun Spartans’ administration to Prime Minister Robert Abela and Opposition Leader Bernard Grech marked the club’s recent league success, following their 1-0 victory over Birkirkara in the tightly contested Finalissima of the first-ever 360Sports Malta Premier.

The win on Saturday, 10th May, sealed Ħamrun’s 11th league title—and their third in a row—cementing their dominance in Maltese football.

Prime Minister Abela welcomed the club at the Auberge de Castille, saying: “It was a pleasure to welcome the administration of Ħamrun Spartans. Congratulations once again to them on winning the league.”

Opposition Leader Bernard Grech also applauded the team, noting: “Sport strengthens a person not only physically, but also mentally. I congratulated the officials, players, and coaches of Ħamrun Spartans for their outstanding achievement.”

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The Mediterrane Film Festival is a celebration of film and creativity that brings together the best of the Mediterranean region and beyond. Established in 2023, the annual event takes place in the beautiful islands of Malta and aims to unite countries to foster collaboration, opportunity, and a shared love for film.

The festival showcases exceptional films from the region and serves as a platform for filmmakers, industry professionals, and enthusiasts to connect, exchange ideas, and create partnerships for future projects. Past Festival guests include BAFTA-winning director Mike Leigh, editor Yorgos Mavropsaridis (Kinds of Kindness, Poor Things), Oscar-winning production designer Nathan Crowley (Wicked), casting director Margery Simkin (Top Gun, Mamma Mia!), and composer Simon Franglen (Avatar: The Way of Water, Ocean’s Eight).

Mediterranean Film festival Reveals Official selection and industry programme highlights for third festival edition held in valletta, on the 21st-29th of June 2025.

Malta’s Mediterrane Film Festival returns for its third edition with a high profile mix of award-winning films, festival hits, bold new documentaries and special previews, which will screen between 21 – 29 June 2025 in the capital of the island, Valletta and at some its most historic and iconic surrounding locations.

Featuring more than 40 films from more than 20 countries, including 10 films in its Competition,12 Out of Competition films and six films competing in its environment-themed Mare Nostrum section, the Festival also brings together a host of pioneering voices in filmmaking for its in-depth Industry Masterclasses and events programme, to be housed in the extraordinary location of the 400 year old Fort Ricasoli.

Mediterrane Film Festival’s Main Competition brings together a powerful selection of the year’s most distinct and engaging films from across the Mediterranean, comprising Uberto Pasolini’s The Return which reunites The English Patient co-stars, Academy Award nominee Ralph Fiennes and Academy Award winner Juliette Binoche in a powerfully original and psychologically revealing adaptation of Homer’s Odyssey; Rebecca Lenkiewicz’s directorial debut, Hot Milk, adapted from the acclaimed novel by Deborah Levy; For the Love of a Woman (Per amore di una donna) from Italian director Guido Chiesa; Harvest – Attenberg director Athina Rachel Tsangari’s hallucinatory adaptation of Jim Crace’s acclaimed novel; Maltese director Joshua Cassar Gaspar’s The Theft of the Caravaggio which envisages a priest waking to discover a priceless Caravaggio painting stolen from St. John’s Cathedral in Valletta.

Where The Wind Comes From, Amel Guellaty (Black Mamba)’s long-awaited feature debut which follows a young couple’s road trip through Tunisia, also plays, alongside Croatian director Igor Bezinović’s meta documentary Fiume o Morte!, winner of the IFFR 2025 Tiger Award; The Wound by Morocco’s Seloua El Gouni, winner – Best Debut Feature Film at the Athens International Art Film Festival; Eurospy genre mystery Reflection in a Dead Diamond from Hélène Cattet and Bruno Forzani; and Julio Medem’s 8, which charts eight episodes in two lives, through eight decades.

Meanwhile, the Festival’s out of competition line-up brings together a range of special screenings and select previews including Ira Sachs’ Sundance favourite Peter Hujar’s Day with Ben Wishaw and Rebecca Hall; Malta-set erotic thriller Compulsion by Neil Marshall (director of The Descent); the heartfelt Four Letters of Love starring Pierce Brosnan, Helena Bonham Carter and Gabriel Byrne; North London-set Time Travel is Dangerous, about two vintage clothing store owners who use a time machine to help stock their shop, features a supporting cast of all-star British comedy, including Johnny Vegas, Jane Horrocks, Sophie Thompson and Mark Heap, narrated by Stephen Fry.

Directors Iain Forsyth & Jane Pollard bring the remarkable story of The Extraordinary Miss Flower to the Festival, a collaboration with acclaimed Icelandic singer/songwriter Emilíana Torrini, which will screen alongside another alternative musically-infused tale, The Ballad of Wallis Island starring Tom Basden, Carey Mulligan and Tim Key and the pitch-perfect comedy of errors The Wedding Banquet featuring a multigenerational cast led by Lily Gladstone.

The selection also includes Jakarta-set post-war period thriller Love is a Battlefield, and Piotr Winiewicz’s About a Hero, an often bizarre crime mystery which features an AI version of acclaimed filmmaker Werner Herzog (made with his permission) who must solve the suspicious death of a factory worker. The film also features Vicky Krieps and Stephen Fry.

In a special sidebar section organised in collaboration with FilmItalia, the festival celebrates new Italian women filmmakers. Three stand-out new Italian films are featured in the programme: sex and politics collide in Diva Futura; singer-songwriter Margherita Vicario’s beautiful and rousing musical film Gloria! focuses on a group of confined young women in 18th century Venice, whilst Love and Glory – The Long Deledda is an arresting biopic of the life of Sardinian novelist Grazia Deledda, the first Italian woman to receive the Nobel Prize for Literature. Returning for 2025, Mare Nostrum, meaning ‘Our Sea’, brings together six original and inventive explorations of climate crisis and environmental themes including, CPH:DOX pick, Sandra Winther’s Lowland Kids, which tells the story of the last two teenagers on Louisiana’s once thriving Isle de Jean Charles, part of a community deemed America’s First Climate Refugees; How Deep is Your Love (dir. Eleanor Mortimer) which weaves urgency and wonder in a deep sea exploration of some of the planet’s most mesmerising creatures with the looming threat of sea mining; and Transamazonia, an entrancing moral drama set in the vast Amazon jungle,where an Indigenous tribe and an apparent faith healer capable of miracles confront an environmental crisis on their doorstep. Miyazaki : Spirit of Nature explores the life and works of Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki (My Neighbor Totoro, Spirited Away), focusing on his passion for animation and advocacy for the natural world; David Baute’s beautifully animated Black Butterflies tells the stories of three women from very different parts of the world, who each face the impacts of climate change; and Only on Earth (dir. Robin Petré) is an immersive and visually striking journey to Southern Galicia, one of the most wildfire-prone zones in Europe, as it experiences the hottest summer on record – and the impact on the wild horses which have roamed its mountains for centuries.

This year’s Competition Jury comprises the world-leading creative talents of Elli Griff, Rick Carter and Catherine Hardwick, who alongside the discerning eyes of costume designer Charlese Antoinette, Poor Things production designer James Price and Maltese director Mario Philip Azzopardi will determine the recipients of the coveted Golden Bee Awards, to be unveiled at a special Gala event on June 29, 2025.

The Festival reveals that Jurors Elli Griff, Rick Carter and Catherine Hardwicke will also participate in a series of Masterclasses during the Festival, alongside Hollywood director Joe Carnahan, celebrated producer and Founder of Recorded Picture Company, Jeremy Thomas and Glenn Gainor, Head of Physical Production, Amazon Original Movies. The Golden Bee Awards 2025 marks a monumental celebration of 100 years of cinema in Malta, honoring Malta’s role as a cinematic hub and embracing the future of filmmaking. As the grand finale of the Mediterrane Film Festival, the awards take place at Fort Manoel, opposite Valletta, Malta, a historic 18th Century Fort. It brings together renowned filmmakers, artists, and industry leaders to celebrate storytelling excellence. This year’s edition is a cinematic journey through time, structured into seven chapters, each reflecting 20 iconic years of film history . Through music, dance, drones, fireworks and breathtaking visuals, the ceremony highlights the evolution of storytelling, technological advancements, and cinema’s profound cultural impact.

2025 marks the centenary of filmmaking in Malta, since the island hosted its first feature film, Sons of the Sea (1925). Over the decades, Malta has evolved into a premier international production hub, known for its historic architecture, versatile landscapes, and world-renowned water-based facilities at the Malta Film Studios. From Gladiator and Troy to Game of Thrones and Napoleon, the island has played host to some of the world’s most iconic productions. With continued investment, government support, and a growing talent pool, Malta’s rich cinematic legacy is poised to shape the next century of global filmmaking. Led by the new creative team of Festival Director Ray Calleja and Festival Curator Mark Adams, the 2025 Mediterrane Film Festival will embrace the theme ‘We Are Film’ — a celebration of film, connecting people through stories, emotions, and shared experiences. This theme underscores the festival’s mission to unite creators and audiences in honoring the universal language of film. Malta Film Commissioner Johann Grech said, “The Mediterrane Film Festival was born from a simple yet powerful idea – to connect creative minds from the Mediterranean and across Europe and transform their ideas into reality . We stand for opportunity, collaboration and creativity.”

“As we celebrate 100 years of filmmaking in Malta, we’re honoured to welcome an exceptional panel of judges who reflect the depth, diversity, and global reach of contemporary cinema. Together with our Festival Curator, Mark Adams, we’re committed to shaping a programme that not only honours Malta’s cinematic past but also champions bold new voices from across the Mediterranean and beyond” added Festival Director Ray Calleja.

FESTIVAL LOCATIONS:

KALKARA

Fort Ricasoli for the Convention and Outdoor Cinema

VALLETTA

Embassy Cinema for the competition screenings

Spazzju Kreattiv for local films

Laparelli Gardens for Outdoor Cinema

Saluting Battery for the Sunset Party

GZIRA

Manoel Island for the Golden Bee Awards Ceremony

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