Mediterrane Film Festival Sets Jury and Special Programming for Third Edition

The 2025 edition of the Mediterrane Film Festival is falling into focus.

The third installment of the festival — scheduled to take place in Valletta, Malta from June 21-29 — has reeled in a jury that includes filmmaker Catherine Hardwicke (Twilight), Oscar winning production designer Rick Carter (Avatar), costume designer Charlese Antoinette (Air), set decorator Elli Griff (Napoleon), production designer James Price (Poor Things), Maltese director Mario Philip Azzopardi (ZOS: Zone of Separation). The jury will determine the recipients of the Golden Bee Awards, a list that will be unveiled at a gala, on June 29.

The Mediterrane Film Festival, which is under the direction of a new creative team in festival director Ray Calleja and curator Mark Adams, features three pillars of programming: main competition (films from across the Mediterranean), out of competition (global selections) and Mare Nostrum or Our Sea (films dedicated to sustainability and environmental themes). The latter’s jury includes Grainne Humphreys, a longtime artistic director of the Dublin Film Festival, and Ania Trzebiatowska, a senior programmer at the Sundance Film Festival.

Beyond the fest’s public screenings, programming will also include panels, roundtables and masterclasses from notable industry talent. Jury member Hardwicke will be pulling double duty this year as she’s already been booked for a filmmaker discussion in support of her film, Lords of Dogtown, which will have a 20th anniversary screening. Past speakers include Mike Leigh, editor Yorgos Mavropsaridis (Poor Things), Oscar-winning production designer Nathan Crowley (Wicked), casting director Margery Simkin (Top Gun) and composer Simon Franglen (Avatar: The Way of Water).

This year’s festival is being curated with the theme “We Are Film,” which is meant to be a reflection of the festival’s mission to unite creators and audiences in honoring the universal language of film. It also very much aligns with a major Malta milestone: 2025 marks 100 years of filmmaking in the area, dating back to its first feature film, 1925’s Sons of the Sea. In the century since, it has become a hot production hub thanks to its architecture, landscapes and water-based facilities at Malta Film Studios. Movies that have shot in the area include Gladiator, Troy, Game of Thrones, Napoleon and many more.

“As we celebrate 100 years of filmmaking in Malta, we’re honored 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 program that not only honors Malta’s cinematic past but also champions bold new voices from across the Mediterranean and beyond,” said Calleja in a statement.

Added Malta film commissioner Johann Grech: “The Mediterrane Film Festival was born from a simple yet powerful idea – to connect creative minds from the Mediterranean and across Europe and transform their ideas into reality. We stand for opportunity, collaboration and creativity.”