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8 maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 22 MAY 2024 NEWS MALTA'S Mediterrane Film Fes- tival has unveiled the first wave of programming for its upcoming second edition of the festival, taking place from 22nd June to 30th June 2024 in the enchant- ing capital of the island, Valletta. These titles span the Main Com- petition, Out of Competition and Mare Nostrum programming strands and sit under the Medi- terrane Film Festival's theme for 2024: 'Unity through Film'. The upcoming edition of the Mediterrane Film Festival in- cludes four programming strands overall: Main Competition – featuring films from across the Mediterranean, Out of Compe- tition – featuring films from the rest of the world, Mare Nostrum, 'Our Sea', showcasing narrative and documentary films dedicated to sustainability and the environ- ment, and Future Visions – a se- lection of immersive VR projects which will be announced at a later date. Alongside screenings, the festival will include an indus- try strand with a series of panels and masterclasses from notable industry figures. The Main Competition Jury – which includes Jon S. Baird, Mar- gery Simkin, Mario Philip Azz- opardi, Nathan Crowley, Pedro Luque, and Richie Mehta, with fur- ther participants to be announced – will judge the Main Competition strand of twelve films and award prizes for: Best Feature Film, Act- ing Performance, Screenwriting, Production Design, Creative Tech- nical Performance and the special Jury Award – with the winners be- ing crowned at the festival's Gold- en Bee Awards closing ceremony on 30th June. Additionally, the Out of Competition strand will have a People's Choice Award, and the Mare Nostrum Feature award will be judged by a separate jury made up of festival directors and pro- grammers. Teresa Cavina, Artistic Director of Mediterrane Film Festival, said: "This year's selection of films will demonstrate our commitment to fostering a programme that cel- ebrates the best of cinema from the Mediterranean and beyond. We have some incredible direc- tors and creatives in this line-up already, across both established and emerging talent, and the se- lection will offer something for all audiences – from expansive international dramas, captivat- ing psychological horrors and emotional human stories from around the world." Speaking at a networking event to promote this year's second Mediterrane Film Festival, Mal- ta's Film Commissioner, Johann Grech, told an exclusive invited international audience of film- makers, producers and press at the Festival du Cannes: "I am delighted to be here at one of the world's oldest film festivals to showcase the world's newest: Mediterrane Film Festival hosted by Malta. At a time of unprece- dented instability and division across the world, the Mediter- rane Film Festival has a very spe- cial role to promote, as our festi- val tagline says loud and proud, 'Unity Through Film'. Now, more than ever, it is cru- cial to promote dialogue and understanding between Europe, North Africa and the Middle East. That's why I am delighted that in competing for this year's Golden Bee awards will be films from countries new to the Festi- val – Morocco, Turkey, Greece, Tunisia, Bosnia & Herzegovina and Jordan. They will compete alongside returning nations in- cluding Italy and Croatia." Tickets for screenings at the Mediterrane Film Festival will go on sale in late May. The current films in the main competition are: BACKSTAGE Dir. Afef Ben Mahmoud / Khalil Benkirane Morocco; Tunisia; Belgium; France; Norway; Qatar; Saudi Arabia Aida, member of a contempo- rary dance troupe touring Moroc- co, provokes during a representa- tion in a small Middle Atlas town, her life and stage partner Hedi, who injures her onstage trigger- ing a series of events through a long night across a forest, on the way to the next village's doctor. HAYAT Dir. Zeki Demirkubuz Turkey Forced to get engaged by her father, Hicran runs away from home. Riza, who thinks that Hi- cran does not want him, does not care much about this situation, but it becomes increasingly dif- ficult for him and he decides to confront Hicran. KINDS OF KINDNESS Dir. Yorgos Lanthimos Greece Kinds of Kindness is a triptych fable, following a man without choice who tries to take control of his own life; a policeman who is alarmed that his wife who was missing-at-sea has returned and seems a different person; and a woman determined to find a spe- cific someone with a special abil- ity, who is destined to become a prodigious spiritual leader. THE STRANGERS' CASE Dir. Brandt Andersen Jordan Aleppo, in the midst of the Syr- ian civil war. Amira, a paediatric surgeon, performs a life- saving operation during the darkest days of the conflict. Through an unex- pected twist of fate, she and her daughter become central charac- ters in a dangerous tale that intri- cately interweaves the lives of five families spanning four continents and redefines all of their exist- ences. TUESDAY Dir. Daina O. Pusić United States, United Kingdom A mother (Julia Louis-Dreyfus, in a profoundly moving perfor- mance) and her teenage daughter (Lola Petticrew) must confront Death when it arrives in the form of an astonishing talking bird. From debut filmmaker Daina O. Pusić, Tuesday is a heart-rending fairy tale about the echoes of loss and finding resilience in the un- expected. SWEET DREAMS Dir. Ena Sendijarević Bosnia & Herzegovina Tumultuous events triggered by the death of a Dutch sugar planta- tion owner who ends up leaving his Indian Ocean island estate to his young illegitimate son - the child of his Indonesian housemaid. WHO DO I BELONG TO Dir. Meryam Joobeur Tunisia; France; Canada Aicha lives in the isolated north of Tunisia with her husband and youngest son. The family lives in anguish after the departure of the eldest sons Mehdi and Amine to the violent embrace of war. When Mehdi unexpectedly re- turns home with a mysterious pregnant wife, a darkness emerg- es, threatening to consume the entire village. Aicha is caught be- tween her maternal love and her search for the truth. Mediterrane Film Festival reveals first selections for 2024 edition's film programme Clockwise from top left: Who Do I Belong To, Hayat, The Strangers' Case, Sweet Dreams, Tuesday, Kinds of Kindness, and Backstage