The fourth edition of the Malta Short Film Festival has come to a close after the final award ceremony was held, awarding Best
Picture to the film The Cortege, from Spain, directed by Marina Seresesky and Alvaro Lavin. Speaking at the ceremony which was
held at the Radisson Blu Resort in St Julians, Malta, they expressed their satisfaction and awe at receiving this award which is
another accolade in their already impressive career. They thanked the Embassy of Spain in Malta for supporting their trip to Malta.
Sixteen categories were awarded with awards given to 12 films, hailing from 10 countries.
The Malta Short Film Festival has a unique concept since it is broadcast entirely on television, with the judges airing their views on
the films being presented, together with the public vote via SMS, email and the online poll on the official website
www.maltashortfilmfest.com. According to published statistics by the Broadcasting Authority Malta, each year the festival has an
audience of 30,000 television viewers each week, and therefore the impact of the festival is a very strong one. This year the final
selection consisted of 41 films from 22 countries around the globe. The festival spread over 13 weeks and each programme was
also viewed via live streaming on www.tvm.com.mt, on the official website and also via the festival’s You Tube Channel.
The festival is produced by the Malta Film Foundation, a non-profit organisation which provides events to increase film appreciation
and promote film projects. The festival is produced by Joyce Grech and Tony Parnis.
The local jury panel consists of Prof Rev Saviour Chircop, Tony Cassar Darien, Winston Azzopardi and Joyce Grech. One of the
categories, Foreign Jury Award is awarded by a selection of international jurors. This year the panel selected was made up of Mr
Louis Savy, Director Sci-Fi London, Mr Yiannis Zachopoulous, Director Thess International Short Film Festival, Thessaloniki, Greece;
and Italian filmmaker Andrea Lodovichetti.