Maltese director Shirley Spiteri Mintoff is currently preparing her new feature Waiting to Hear from Julia, with filming scheduled for 2027 in Malta and Italy.
Her film centres on the Maltese Prime Minister’s driver, Matteo Dimech. Since the death of his wife (the Julia of the title) he has been living a nightmare, spiralling into alcoholism and obsessive religious rituals. When the COVID lockdown is announced, his daughter moves in with him and their living arrangement erupts into an emotionally charged conflict.
Produced by Maltese Motion Blur, the film has a budget of €967,909 and has secured €347,000 in funding through the Screen Support Scheme. The Malta Film Commission is also providing support via a 40% cash rebate for filming carried out within the country.
“We wanted to create something modest and focused rather than a massive production,” said producer Stanley Agius: “one apartment, two people and a lockdown which resulted in a form of deeply intimate isolation, a dimension everyone now recognises.”
Sources : FNE, Motion Blur
