CATS OF MALTA
A BEAUTIFUL FILM SHOWING THE POWER OF COMMUNITY AND THE STRENGTH FOUND FROM THE HUMAN-ANIMAL CONNECTIOn
→ Animal protection and our relationship with the animal world are major issues of our era, closely related to ecology.
→ It is a cat movie showcasing Malta’s resilient cats, but in this funny and moving documentary, the filmmaker aim to inspire compassion among the audience members towards cats.
→ In our hyper-connected society, millions of cat videos circulate on YouTube, Instagram, and Tik-Tok, celebrating their quirkiness and comedic absurdity. This heartfelt documentary aligns perfectly with the dynamics of digital distribution.
PRODUCTION STATEMENT
Relocating to Malta from Australia in 2017, Maltese/Australian director Sarah Jayne Portelli and producer Ivan Malekin quickly discovered there the large population of stray cats.
Prior to the start of the pandemic in 2021, their Maltese based production company Nexus Production Group purchased a camera, set to shoot a narrative feature. With pandemic restrictions halting film productions Sarah Jayne and Ivan set about testing their new camera by filming cats at a local park. With all this footage on hand and a curiosity as to where these cats came from and who looks after them an idea for a documentary was born.
Debunking traditional filmmaking methods, Sarah Jayne and Ivan then spoke with Matthew Pandolfino about his cat statue and it snowballed. The duo with the occasional help of a second camera operator and a drone operator, shot the film during the pandemic.
SYNOPSIS
CATS OF MALTA is a family-friendly documentary giving a voice to the island’s stray cats , while providing insight into Malta's cat culture through a series of candid interviews with charismatic local feeders, artists and volunteers.
| Directed by | Sarah Jayne |
|---|---|
| Produced by | Nexus Production Group |
| Language | English |
| Location | Malta |
| Budget | TBC |
DIRECTOR
Sarah Jayne is a young production designer and filmmaker. In 2020, she directed the film In Corpore, and in 2022, the thriller Machination. She also was production designer for these two films.
RELEASE
11th October 2023
