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ŻEJTUNE

Alex Camilleri

Producers

Rebecca Anastasi (Luzzu Ltd), Ramin Bahrani (NORUZ FILMS)

Lab Edition

10

,

2022

Production

Country

Malta

SYNOPSIS

A contemporary comedy-drama set in the colorful world of Maltese folk music, featuring real artists from this unheralded community.
Mar Zahra is in a rut: both her marriage and career fell apart, and at age thirty, she thinks life is over. A chance encounter with the elderly troubadour, Nenu, opens her ears to the strange and beautiful tradition of għana, Maltese folk singing. The music brings new hope into her life, but forces a personal reckoning with the painful secrets buried in her family tree.

DIRECTOR'S NOTE

As I did in my debut, LUZZU, I will take audiences past the touristic view of Malta — in ŻEJTUNE we’ll discover charming non-actors and a totally unique musical tradition. I want to surprise viewers with complex characters, unexpected humor, and a fresh twist on genre.  ŻEJTUNE is a “neorealist musical” combined with a road movie. It’s also a deeply personal, universal story about finding hope after your world ends — a pandemic film that isn’t about the pandemic at all. I can’t wait to take you on the road to ŻEJTUNE.

ABOUT THE FILMMAKER

PRODUCERS

Rebecca Anastasi (Luzzu Ltd), Ramin Bahrani (NORUZ FILMS)

Rebecca Anastasi (Nizza Films, Malta) worked in international film production for seventeen years. She was a programmer for Valletta Film Festival, spearheading events including the conference on the Cinema of Small Nations. In 2021, she produced LUZZU, a Sundance-winner and international festival breakout, which sold in territories worldwide. She is a visiting film lecturer at the University of Malta working towards her doctorate, and an alumna of Berlinale Talents (2021). In 2022, she established her company, Nizza Films.

Ramin Bahrani (Noruz Films, USA) is an Oscar-nominated writer, director and producer. His films have premiered in either the Cannes or Venice Film Festivals, where he has also served as President of the Debut Film jury. Film critic Roger Ebert named Bahrani “the director of the decade,” and his cinematic work is housed in the permanent collection at the Museum of Modern Art in NYC. Bahrani’s latest film, THE WHITE TIGER, was nominated for an Oscar, BAFTA, and was viewed globally 27 million times on Netflix. He was a producer of LUZZU.

Alex Camilleri (Malta) will also produce through Solari Productions.

​PRODUCTION COMPANY PROFILE

Company name & city:
Solari Productions
Sliema, Malta
Contact email:
alex.p.camilleri@gmail.com
Contact telephone number:
+1 507-261-3363

​PRODUCTION BUDGET

The production budget in USD:
$950,000
Confirmed budget in USD and source:
$47,350 — Malta Film Fund (Screen Malta), Development Grant

LANGUAGE

Maltese

GENRE

Comedy-Drama/Musical

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