Short film Shab (To My Little Turtle) was in competition at the Tangier Mediterranean Short Film Festival held last week. The festival marked the start of  an international film festival tour following the Cannes Short Film showing and the Valletta Film Festival. Here’s what Martin had to say about his experience of the audience screening:

“After a couple of years in development, almost 2 years in production and a few months of preparation and marketing, Shab (To My Little Turtle) finally got its first international audience. At some points, I had wondered if this film would ever see the light of day. It was my first professional fiction short film and also my first co-production. Along the way we’ve encountered numerous set backs from scheduling, to financial and even serious health problems that delayed post-production – but here we are. Journalists, film makers and film fans are slowly filling the Roxy Cinema in the middle of Tangier, and this short film will play in 5 minutes.

Hearing an audience reacting to your film, with audible gasps and laughs is an amazing feeling. You get a good sense of which parts of the film work and which parts don’t. By the end of the film, I can barely breathe. This film is a very personal project, inspired and informed by my experiences and my family and friends, and sharing such a personal part of yourself with a room full of strangers is not easy.

But they clapped, the enjoyed and appreciated the short film. In between hugs and cigarettes, we received a lot of compliments and encouraging comments. People cried and others contragulated our excellent actors and it looks like we touched a number of hearts with this short film.

A couple of days later we had the closing ceremony which came with the awards. The awards were varied but the most talked about film among the filmmakers present didn’t receive any awards. Miami, a simple short film by Portughese filmmaker Simao Cayatte, had all the elements that make a movie great. A contemporary topic, great direction and acting, and the audacity to look at part of our culture that we may not be ready and willing to normally look at.

At the end of the day, it was great sharing this week with the so many great people and who knows? Hopefully we’ll work together again soon.”

Shadeena also participated in the parliamentary debate on culture held on the 28th of September. Leading a group of independent professionals in the Creative & Cultural Sectors (CCS), Martin read a speech encouraging good governance and investment in the creative industry. He called for reform and unification of all players in a sector that accounts for a significant part of Malta’s GDP (5% vs the 4% generated by the building industry) but is nonetheless often regarded as a past time. The speech was well received and no doubt helped encourage the notable increase in this year’s culture budget as well as a commitment from Malta Enterprise to reach out more to the CCS. Here’s the full speech (in Maltese):

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Meta nitkellmu dwar negozju u professjonalizzazjoni, is-settur taghna jinvolvi sfidi unici. Huwa bbazat fuq assi intangibli. Jirrikjedi investiment taí flus sostanzjali. Jinvolvi xoghol estensiv, u min jidhol ghalih irid ikun dedikat u lest li jhalli l-hinijiet taí l-ufficju warajh. Fl-istess waqt, dan is-settur irid jaqdef kontra l-percezzjoni wisq mifruxa li huwa biss delizzju. Fil-veritaí, skond l-ahhar statistici is-settur kreattiv, dan li jissejjah ëdelizzjuí, huwa responsabbli ghal hamsa fil-mija tal-Prodott Gross Domestiku Malti. Is-settur tal-bini, industrija li titqies importanti, kemm storikament u bhala mezz tíghejxien ghal hafna min-nies, tiggenera erbgha fil-mija. Huwa evidenti li xi haga míhiex fípostha.

Is-settur ghandu bzonn riforma. Fid-dinja globali li nghixu fiha llum, míhuwiex sostenibbli jew xieraq li nibqghu inharsu lejn l-artist bhala talent imsejken li jirrekjedi somma flus sabiex jiddelizzja u jghaddi z-zmien javvanza f’sempliciment “passatemp”. L-artist irid jitqies bhala operatur ekonomiku li jiggenera investiment u anke impjieg, kif infatt hu. Kull koncessjoni li tinghata ghandha titqies bídan il-moghod u ghandna wkoll bzonn li nippublikaw analizi tar-rizultati li juru b’mod tangibli ghal xiex wassal dan l-investiment. Bíhekk is-settur privat fídan il-qasam jissahhah u l-investiment minnu jilhaq lil dak pubbliku, u n-naqsu d-dipendenza fuq fondi pubblici.

Fl-istess hin, l-istrategija u l-politika nazzjonali fuq is-settur ghandha bzonn aggornament qawwi. Li kieku s-sejhiet ghat-tenders fípajjizna jinhargu dejjem kif jinhargu dawk tas-settur kreattiv, kieku l-ministri taghna illum gew misjuqa fívetturi uzati mis-snin tmenin. Dan ghaliex hafna drabi kriterja wahda biss tkun inkluza físejha ñ dik taí l-orhos prezz. In-nuqqas tígharfien fis-settur huwa carissimu meta informazzjoni bazika, bhal xítip taí kontenut qieghed jigi ikkommissjonat, míhijiex inkluza fis-sejha. In-nuqqas taí gharfien ma ghadux skuza valida. Dan huwa insult ghall-operaturi kollha fis-settur u ghall-ufficjali pubblici kollha li qed jipprovaw isahhu s-settur taghna. FíMalta ngharfu bosta professjonisti, minn Periti sal-Awdituri. Per ezempju hadd ma jikkummisjona xoghol taí kostruzzjoni, minghajr ma jahtar Perit. L-istess ghandu jkun fil-bqija tas-settur kreattiv. Kull progett pubbliku li jinvolvi servizzji kreattivi, ghandu jahtar direttur kreattiv bíesperjenza sostanzjali fil-qasam. Persuna li tahdem id fíid ma ufficjali pubblici, sabiex tibni holqa mas-settur kreattiv u timla l-gharfien nieqes.

Meta thares lejn is-settur kreattiv, tara wkoll li hemm wisq firda.Is-settur hu mifrud bejn il-Politika Nazzjonali tal-Kultura, il-Politika Nazzjonali tal-Film, il-Politika Nazzjonali tax-Xandir, il-Kunsill tal-Arti, il-Kunsill tal-Ktieb, il-Kummisjoni tal-Films u ohrajn. Jinvolvi wkoll lill-Ministeru tal-Gustizzja, Kultura u Gvern Lokali, Ministeru tal-Edukazzjoni u Mpjieg, Ministeru tal-Ekonomija, Investiment u Negozji Zghar, Ministeru tal-Finanzi, Ministeru tí Ghawdex, u l-Ministeru tat-Turismu.

Wasal iz-zmien li s-settur kreattiv ikollu politika u strategija wahda. Hemm bzonn li jigi rikonoxxut bhala settur uniku u mghaqud. Irridu naraw li kull parti minnu jimxi fl-istess direzzjoni, jigbed l-istess habel, sabiex l-izviluppi jkunu konkreti u t-tkabbir ikun car fis-snin li gejjin.
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Martin Bonnici – Producer/Director
Dr Ann Marie Spiteri – Lawyer with interest in the CCS
Christopher Vella – Business Developer with interest in the CCS
Mark Doneo – Actor/Producer
Peter Galea – Actor
Moira Zahra – Illustrator/Writer
Mark Scicluna ñ Illustrator
Cassi Camilleri – Writer
Charlie Cauchi – Academic & Producer