07-06-2016

CONFERENCE: THE CINEMA OF SMALL NATIONS – THE 2ND EDITION OF THE VALLETTA FILM FESTIVAL

    A conference entitled The Cinema of Small Nations is being organised by the Film Grain Foundation in conjunction with the Malta Film Commission and will be held in Valletta, Malta between the 9th and 10th Festival (VFF).

    The conference is being convened to bring together academics, filmmakers, policy makers, broadcasters and distributors from small nations to discuss the cinema and broadcasting produced by some of the world’s smallest states.

    A number of appointed experts, including Anna Franklin from the FNE, Henning Camre, the Executive Director of the European Think Tank on Film Public Policy, Laufey Guthsdottir, the Director of the Icelandic Film Centre and Laila Pakalnina, the Latvian filmmaker and screenwriter, will be sharing their expertise at the conference. The topics of Content Creation in Small States, Film Public Policy, Film Education, The Future of Film and Digital Change in Small States will all be discussed.

    The conference will question if size does matter in the digital era and aims to offer a comparative view and shed light on the persistent challenges faced by small nations in their creation of indigenous industries and the opportunities which can be accessed by producers, directors and audio-visual artists.

    The conference will also serve as a networking hub for film professionals from smaller nations, in which they can share common issues and help shape future policy in areas such as production and co-production.

    The second edition of the Valletta Film Festival, taking place from the 3rd – 11th June, will feature over 40 films, Masterclasses as well as the Conference. Seven feature films, seven documentaries and 26 short films will be competing for the Triton Awards in Best Film, Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Actor and Actress, Best Documentary and Best Short Film. The awards ceremony will take place on Saturday 11th June at Fort St Elmo.

    The main sponsors of VFF 2016 are Audi by Continental Cars, Vascas Jewellers, Malta Film Commission, and Transcripta. VFF is also being supported by V18, Heritage Malta, Palazzo Prince D’Orange, Excelsior, I Can Do Things, Pjazza Teatru Rjal, Pellikola u Kinemastik.

    Tickets can be bought online from www.vallettafilmfestival.com. Festival passes, allowing access to all the screenings, masterclasses and events, are also on sale.