Among the films selected for the main competition is the awaited Maltese film The Theft of the Caravaggio by Joshua Cassar Gaspar, a fictional mystery thriller inspired by the 1984 disappearance of Caravaggio’s St. Jerome Writing from St. John’s Co-Cathedral in Valletta.
The industry masterclasses include Lessons in Filmmaking with directors Joe Carnahan and Catherine Hardwicke, and sessions with Emmy-winning composer Martin Phipps and multi-award-winning production designer Rick Carter, all of them to be housed in the 400 year old Fort Ricasoli.
The Golden Bee Lifetime Achievement Award will be presented this year to Jeremy Thomas.
Since its first feature film, Sons of the Sea (1925), Malta has evolved into a premier international production hub, known for its historic architecture, versatile landscapes, and world-renowned water-based facilities at the Malta Film Studios.
Led by the new creative team of festival director Ray Calleja and festival curator Mark Adams, the 2025 Mediterrane Film Festival will embrace the theme ‘We Are Film’ - a celebration of film, connecting people through stories, emotions, and shared experiences.
“As we celebrate 100 years of filmmaking in Malta, we’re honoured to welcome an exceptional panel of judges, who reflect the depth, diversity, and global reach of contemporary cinema. Together with our festival curator, Mark Adams, we’re committed to shaping a programme that not only honours Malta’s cinematic past but also champions bold new voices from across the Mediterranean and beyond”, said festival director Ray Calleja.
Main Competition:
The Return (Italy, Greece, UK, France)
Directed by Uberto Pasolini
Hot Milk (Australia, Greece, UK)
Directed by Rebecca Lenkiewicz
For the Love of a Woman / Per amore di una donna (Italy)
Directed by Guido Chiesa
Harvest (UK, Germany, USA, France, Greece)
Directed by Athina Rachel Tsangari
The Theft of the Caravaggio (Malta)
Directed by Joshua Cassar Gaspar
Produced by Maltafilm, Valletta Pictures
Where the Wind Comes From (Tunisia, France, Qatar)
Directed by Amel Guellaty
Fiume o Morte! (Croatia, Italy, Slovenia)
Directed by Igor Bezinovic
Produced by Restart
Coproduced by Videomante, Nosorogi
Supported by the Croatian Audiovisual Centre, Eurimages, the Italian Ministry of Culture, the Regional Fund Friuli Venezia Giulia, the Slovenian Film Centre, Viba Film, Creative Europe - MEDIA, the Croatian Television, the Slovenian Television, RE-ACT, the City of Rijeka, the City of Zagreb, Friuli Venezia Giulia Film Commission, ANGOA – PROCIREP, the Croatian Film Directors Guild
Reflection in a Dead Diamond / Reflet dans un diamant mort (Belgium, Luxembourg, Italy, France)
Directed by Hélène Cattet, Bruno Forzani
8 (Spain)
Directed by Julio Medem
Out of Competition:
Peter Hujar's Day (USA)
Directed by Ira Sachs
Compulsion (UK)
Directed by Neil Marshall
Four Letters of Love (UK, Ireland)
Directed by Polly Steele
Time Travel Is Dangerous (UK)
Directed by Chris Reading
The Extraordinary Miss Flower (UK)
Directed by Iain Forsyth, Jane Pollard
The Wedding Banquet (USA)
Directed by Andrew Ahn
Diva Futura (Italy)
Directed by Giulia Louise Steigerwalt
Gloria! (Italy, Switzerland)
Directed by Margherita Vicario
Love and Glory - The Young Deledda / L'amore e la gloria - La giovane Deledda (Italy)
Directed by Maria Grazia Perria
The Ballad of Wallis Island (UK)
Directed by James Griffiths
This City is a Battlefield / Perang Kota (Indonesia, Singapore, the Netherlands, France, Norway, Philippines, Cambodia)
Directed by Mouly Surya
About a Hero (Denmark)
Directed by Piotr Winiewicz
Mare Nostrum:
How Deep Is Your Love (UK)
Directed by Eleanor Mortimer
Transamazonia (Brazil, France, Germany, Switzerland, Taiwan)
Directed by Pia Marais
Black Butterflies / Mariposas negras (Spain, Panama)
Directed by David Baute
Miyazaki: Spirit of Nature / Miyazaki: L’esprit de la nature (France)
Directed by Léo Favier
Only on Earth (Denmark, Spain, Sweden)
Directed by Robin Petré
Lowland Kids (USA)
Directed by Sandra Winther
