Żejtune wins Audience Award at Mediterranean Film Festival Split<\/p>\n
Maltese feature film Żejtune, written and directed by Alex Camilleri, has won the Audience Award at the 19th edition of the Mediterranean Film Festival Split in Croatia. <\/p>\n
The award was announced during the festival’s closing ceremony, held on Saturday 20 June 2026. Camilleri attended the festival in Split, where he presented the film to Croatian audiences. On receiving the award, Camilleri thanked the audience in Split for the warm reception given to the film. He also thanked the cast, producers, crew and funders for their contribution to the making of the film. <\/p>\n
The Audience Award in Split is another significant international recognition for Żejtune, reflecting the strong connection the film continues to make with audiences beyond Malta and marks the film’s second international award in just over one week, following Camilleri’s Best Screenplay – International Narrative Feature at the 2026 Tribeca Film Festival in New York. <\/p>\n
Żejtune follows Mar, played by Michela Farrugia, a young woman determined to leave Malta behind, whose plans are disrupted by an encounter with Nenu, played by debutant Nenu Borg, an ageing għana singer whose music reconnects her with the island’s traditions and cultural heritage. <\/p>\n
Following its success in Croatia, Żejtune will now continue its international festival journey with its Spanish Premiere at the 41st Cinema Jove – International Film Festival of Valencia, where it will screen later in the week in competition in the festival’s Official Feature Film Section. <\/p>\n
The film has also continued to expand its international distribution footprint. Żejtune has secured theatrical distribution across the Balkan territories and has now also confirmed a theatrical release in Bulgaria through Beta Film later this year. The film has also concluded a deal with HBO Europe for VOD and Pay TV rights in the Balkans and the rest of Eastern Europe. <\/p>\n
Żejtune had its world premiere earlier this year at the Göteborg Film Festival, followed by its North American premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival. The film continues to screen in Malta at Embassy Cinemas in Valletta and Spazju Kreattiv. The film has recorded over 9,000 admissions in Malta making it one of the most watched Maltese films of all time. <\/p>\n
The film is produced by Oliver Mallia for Pellikola, Ramin Bahrani for Noruz Films and Alex Camilleri for Solari Productions, in co-production with One Two Films. The film is supported by ZDF and ARTE. <\/p>\n
The film was made with the financial support of the Malta Film Commission, Arts Council Malta, the Doha Film Institute and the Ministry for Gozo.<\/p>\n