The Mediterrane Film Festival is set to return to Valletta from the 21 – 28 June 2026.
Bringing with it an impressive selection of international films, acclaimed directors, Hollywood stars and emerging creative voices for its fourth edition.
The festival will showcase more than 30 films from around 20 countries across Valletta and several of Malta’s most iconic historic locations.
This year’s edition marks the festival’s largest programme to date, expanding from three to five screening strands and introducing a new Big Screen Competition featuring eight highly anticipated films from some of the world’s most celebrated filmmakers.
Among the directors represented are Steven Soderbergh, Alice Winocour, Gus Van Sant, Mark Jenkin, Karim Ainouz and Olivier Assayas, while audiences can expect performances from a host of international stars including Angelina Jolie, Charli XCX, George MacKay, Callum Turner, Elle Fanning, Pamela Anderson, Paul Dano, Alicia Vikander, Jude Law, Ian McKellen, Michaela Coel, Al Pacino, Bill Skarsgård and Colman Domingo.
The festival’s Mediterranean Competition will shine a spotlight on filmmaking from the region, featuring works such as Maryam Touzani’s Calle Malaga starring Carmen Maura, Leyla Bouzid’s In a Whisper, and Sylvain Chomet’s animated feature A Magnificent Life.
Meanwhile, the New World Cinema section will celebrate distinctive storytelling from around the globe. Highlights include Moss & Freud, the documentary Broken English about acclaimed singer Marianne Faithfull, The Good Boy starring Stephen Graham and Andrea Riseborough, The Last Viking featuring Mads Mikkelsen, and action thriller Normal starring Bob Odenkirk. Festival-goers can also look forward to The Shadow’s Edge, a crime thriller set in Macau featuring Jackie Chan and Tony Leung Ka-fai.
Environmental themes will take centre stage in the Mare Nostrum programme, which presents five films exploring humanity’s relationship with the natural world. Titles include Super Nature, The Tale of Silyan and The Musician and the Whale.
In addition to the competitive sections, audiences can enjoy outdoor screenings of classic and contemporary films, as well as a dedicated Malta Focus programme showcasing locally produced shorts and feature films.
The winners of the festival’s various competitions will be announced during the prestigious Golden Bee Awards on 28 June. The gala event will take place against the backdrop of the Malta Film Studios and the Mediterranean Sea and will also feature the presentation of the Rising Star, Lifetime Achievement and Local Legend awards.
Held under the theme Beyond Together, this year’s festival aims to position Malta as a bridge between the Mediterranean’s rich creative heritage and the future of international storytelling. The programme will also include a series of industry masterclasses and panel discussions featuring leading voices from across the global film sector.
Established in 2023, the Mediterrane Film Festival has rapidly grown into a major platform for cinema, industry networking and cultural exchange, helping to strengthen Malta’s position as an international hub for film production and creative collaboration.
