Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1541835
1. What's been the most defining moment in your career so far? I feel that winning the Golden Knight for We Three Kings is my proudest achievement as a filmmaker. It was by far my most ambitious film, inspired by an idea I first had when I was eight years old—telling the story of the Three Magi from the nativity in the style of the action-adventure films I loved growing up, namely The Mummy Returns, Indiana Jones and The Fellowship of the Ring. These are films I still adore today. It was an extremely ambitious concept for an independent, self-produced short film, complete with a biblical setting, creatures, and action sequences. This award is a testament to the talent and generosity of my incredible cast, crew, friends, and collabo- rators who came together to help bring this daydream to life.I'm very proud of the film. It was difficult to make at times; we shot in some breath-taking but challenging locations, and there were plenty of problems to solve along the way. I'm generally an anxious per- son, and I was very nervous throughout the process. But watching the finished film with audiences and receiv- ing such positive feedback has made me immensely grateful that I took the leap. 2. As a creative, how do you navigate the world and speed of social media? As a creative director, I think it's very important to observe trends and keep social media in mind when developing con- cepts, especially when trying to capture the attention of someone casually scrolling on their phone. We have to adapt from the tra- ditional TV model and cater to an audience that consumes and dismisses content very quickly.As a filmmaker, I find social media an incredibly useful resource for discover- ing and connecting with collaborators, shar- ing work, and promoting films. The YouTube channel and website Indydog—founded by local filmmakers Richard Starkey, Jonathan Backman, Mike West, and myself—is a great platform for watching local short films. Social media helps filmmakers like me, and my peers, reach much wider audiences both in Malta and abroad. Social media has also been crucial in organising my film festival, Video Nasties, where filmmakers are challenged to create original horror short films. Through our online group, filmmakers can find their teams, share ideas, and seek support from one another. 3. Do you consider artificial intelligence a threat to your career, or an opportunity? It's a difficult question. AI will certainly pose a threat to many areas of filmmaking, and it would be a great shame if human artists were replaced. At the same time, AI could, down the road, democratise filmmaking, enabling anyone, anywhere, to bring their visions to life. Personally, I see AI as a pow- erful tool, but we should be disciplined in how we use it. We must strive to protect and value human talent, because its humans that give art its soul. 4. How do you stay motivated and inspired, especially during tough times or when the work feels hard? I think watching films can be very inspiring, so if I'm working on a short film, I might watch features that play within the subge- nres I'm exploring. That can help reignite your excitement about the film you're mak- ing. I also find that going to film festivals is hugely motivating—especially watching short films made by independent filmmakers. They can open your eyes to what is possible without having a large budget or studio, and inspire you to tell stories that are contained and economical in their running time. If I'm stuck for ideas or dealing with a creative block, going for a walk can really help. Spending time away from the internet can be very useful. I feel like we need to give ourselves time to daydream, and not drown that out with constant exposure to screens. I wrote the first draft of We Three Kings by staying at my mum's flat in Gozo and leaving my smartphone in Malta. It gave me the chance to go for long walks, stare at the ceiling, and solve some of the problems I was having with the plot. Whenever I'm involved in a project or short film and start feeling very anxious about it—or think it'll all crash and burn—I remind myself of the times I've felt this way on previous projects, and how those ended up working out well. That's one of the nice things about awards: they reassure you that you do have some idea of what you're doing. 5. How do you balance your creative instincts with the expectations of your audience or collaborators? When it comes to commercials, you are ulti- mately providing a service to a client, so it is important that they are satisfied both during the production process and with the final result. I try to meet their expectations while still keeping the work exciting for me as a creative. This can mean putting ego aside, cutting ideas I'm attached to during the concept stage, and being flexible enough to discover new creative solutions. For my short films, I have much more independence and freedom to follow my instincts. I focus on making the kinds of films I would enjoy watching as an audience member. Collaborators can truly elevate a film, so I try to surround myself with talented people who offer suggestions that make the project even better than I could have imagined. Being open to their input is incredibly valuable. 6. How do you approach a new project? Do you have a specific process or routine you follow? With regard to short films, I keep notes on ideas that I'd like to make. Some of these ideas go back years and years. I tend to choose whatever excites me most, but also what I feel I can realistically achieve at that point in time. I can be a procrastinator, so giving myself a deadline really helps. It's one of the reasons I founded Video Nasties— it offers a deadline for people to create new short films (horror, in that case), and that really helps fire your creativity and get you active. I share my scripts with a few close friends—people I know I can rely on for honest feedback—and once I'm happy with the script, I'll storyboard it. Storyboarding is perhaps my favourite part of the entire filmmaking process. It's essentially directing a film on paper, in the comfort of your home. Once I've storyboard- ed a film, I feel a lot more secure about the flow of the story, and through that process I come up with many ideas for how to tell it visually. The storyboard can change on set if new ideas come up, but it's definitely nice to know exactly what shots you need. It's also much easier to show a collaborator—like a cinematographer—a drawing to help them understand what I have in mind. After that, its casting, location scouting, finding the right props and costumes, rent- ing or borrowing equipment, and talking with the VFX artist ahead of the shoot… there are a lot of things to consider. 7. Can you let us in on some of the future projects or works? We Three Kings 2. maltatoday | SUNDAY • 7 DECEMBER 2025 CULTURE The Malta Biennale announces pavilions for the 2026 edition PAGES 2 ARTS • TV • WHAT'S ON BY LAURA CALLEJA suggestions by email lcalleja@mediatoday.com.mt The Q & A BRUCE MICALLEF EYNAUD 7 questions for... Extra round What advice would you give to aspiring filmmakers or directors? I would definitely say: 'Go out and make it.' Making a short film will teach you more about filmmaking than reading a hundred books. And don't worry about it being perfect. There's no shame in making a bad short film. I think you have to vomit out the bad short films while you're learning the craft. When I was really anxious about, We Three Kings, I'd reassure myself that, even if I was making mistakes, it meant that I was doing something, learning, trying stuff out. Bruce Micallef Eynaud is a creative director at VSquared and a filmmaker who primarily directs commercials and short films, including The Critic, Son of God, and We Three Kings. His recent short film, the fantasy-adventure We Three Kings, which he also wrote and produced, is one of this year's winners at The Golden Knight, Malta's international film awards ceremony. Bruce Micallef Eynaud is also the founder of Video Nasties, a local horror short-film festival and challenge, as well as a film critic who has written for Gadgets, Lovin Malta, and Kritikarti. MaltaToday is supported by Arts Council Malta CULTURE Puppetry, make-up and design for film among new courses at the Malta Society of Arts PAGE 3