Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/467065
II This Week maltatoday, Sunday, 22 February 2015 What is the main aim of the Valletta Film Festival? The aim of the Valletta Film Festival (VFF) is to become a leading cultural event in Malta and a prominent film festival in the Mediterranean, presenting to local and international audiences high-qualit y productions from all over the world. The festival will present progressive and innova- tive independent cinema and a wide range of feature length documentaries. The variet y of se- lected works, the historic venues that will host some of the screen- ings, and the various other events that will be organised at the festival would make it a live, com- munal affair that engages various sections of the communit y. How does the VFF complement long-standing initiatives like the Kinemastik Film Festival? The Valletta Film Festival aims to build on the success of smaller festivals like the annual Kinemas- tik that is now in its 11th year. However this will be a bigger event open to a wider audience. Our aim to present Maltese audi- ences high-qualit y feature length films and documentaries that normally remain undistributed locally, or, if distributed, they are given little publicit y due to their limited commercial appeal. What would you say are some of the 'blind spots' of the local cinema scene, both in terms of films produced and films screened? As a country we still produce very few films and documentaries per year and hardly anything of what we produce gets exhibited beyond our shores. The prob- lem leading to this situation is complex and it's not the remit of Valletta Film Festival to provide a solution to the lack of output that exists. However, Film Grain Foundation, the entit y behind the festival, won't be sitting on the fence. Our plan is to invite producers and commissioning editors to Malta to network with local producers. If there will be an increase in qualit y output on annual basis this event will surely provide Maltese filmmak- ers a new platform they could use to exhibit their films and help their projects get noticed by international sales agents and distributors. What will be some of the first events out of the gate for the Valletta Film Festival? The first edition of the Valletta Film Festival will be held from June 15 to 21. This year we will have five different sections, including an official competitive section split into three catego- ries for feature films, documen- taries and short films. These films will compete for different awards that will be adjudicated by an international audience. Another competitive section will be called 'Islanders'. This sec- tion is open only to films from islands or about islands and the audience will be given the chance to choose the best film. Apart from the screenings that will be held around the cit y, the festival will also include a number of masterclasses given by renowned film practitioners and talks about filmmaking, culture and other contemporary affairs. These events will create a valu- able connection with the com- munit y and will allow knowledge to be both absorbed and distrib- uted. We hope that through these initiatives the festival will build a legacy that would go beyond film exhibition and industry network- ing as it will inspire present and Summer cinemas for the capital city Come June, Valletta will become a cinema-friendly city, as the Valletta Film Festival gets under way across various venues over the capital city. TeOdOr reLJIC spoke to festival directors Slavko Vukanovic and Oliver Mallia to find out more about the ambitious event, and get some insight into how they aim to tap into the Maltese cinema-going public Still from Rebecca Cremona's Simshar: "We still produce very few films and documentaries per year and hardly anything of what we produce gets exhibited beyond our shores" Malta Film Commission exempt from supplying information about public contracts Teodor reljic The Malta Film Commission (MFC) has responded to accusations that it isn't following "standard procure- ment procedures" in a recent call for film clips, by pointing out that a legal notice exempts it from having to supply certain details when it comes to public service contracts for material intended for public broadcast. Earlier this week, the Malta Audio Visual Associa- tion (MAVA) called on the MFC to follow "standard procurement procedures" in the wake of its call for the production of 12 x 3 minute video clips to celebrate the 90th Anniversary of Malta as a filming location. A notice on the MFC website, published on 3 Febru- ary, reads: "On the occasion of the 90th Anniversary of Malta as a film location, the Malta Film Commission is inviting production companies to submit their ideas for a production of a series of short clips/featurettes on the film industry with the objective to educate and raise awareness on the industry. The intention is to produce 12 clips of 3 minute each. The spots will be eventually aired randomly on our National TV Broadcasting Sta- tion." The call adds that interested participants are to submit their proposals and cost their ideas by not later than 2 March, and that late arrivals will be disqualified. While welcoming the project in principle and wish- ing the best of luck to all applicants in their statement, MAVA added that the Association "would have hoped that the call by the Malta Film Commission for the creation of these clips would have followed standard procurement procedures". "To mention a few omissions, one would have expect- ed that there would be criteria mentioned as to who can qualify to shoot these clips; what the budget being made available to create these 3-minuters is; what the techni- cal specification requirements are; what time frame these clips are required to be ready in," MAVA said in their statement, adding that the Association looks at the Malta Film Commission as "an important working part- ner in our common goal to improve the overall working practices of our industry, and therefore would have liked to see MFC lead by example in this case". In response, the Malta Film Commission however said that it enjoys a legal exemption in this regard, and is therefore not obliged to supply such information, mak- ing reference to Article 17(1)(g) of Subsidiary Legislation 174.04 (Public Procurement Regulations), which lays down that these regulations do not apply in case of 'pub- lic service contracts for the acquisition, development, production or co-production of programme material intended for broadcasting by broadcasters and contracts for broadcasting time'. "The Malta Film Commission would like to assure all interested parties, that the selection process will be carried out with a high level of transparency aimed at achieving the best possible audio visual product," a spokesperson for the MFC said. Founded in late 2014, MAVA incorporates within its board five people involved in various facets of the local film industry. Speaking to MaltaToday, MAVA said that the audio-visual industries in Malta have always "lacked a sense of direction", and that over the years have split up into different groups such as advertising, production servicing and film and TV production. Asked which aspect of the Maltese film industry should be tackled most urgently, the Association com- mented that a proper strategy is needed that will con- nect the various structures already in place and creating a long term action plan that will push the industry towards professionalisation and growth. Valletta venues for the Film Festival: Pjazza Teatru Rjal, St James Cavalier, Palace Square, Fort St Elmo and Embassy Cinemas