Maltese-born director Fabrizo Fenech is a relatively new addition to the growing body of film talent on the island. An editor, director and producer (“Those are my primary areas of interest,” he tells The Film Verdict) for the last ten years, he is a vocal champion of local production and home-grown talent. In this interview he peers into the future.
For Fenech, who has grabbed every chance to work on film crews and learn the ropes, servicing foreign film and TV productions is good for Malta’s economy. But he looks forward to a time when the islanders will be able to use their offshore contacts to export their own productions.
“A lot of us are trying to promote local films and production,” Fenech notes, “but there are not that many Maltese films, unfortunately. Yet we all dedicate our efforts to showcasing our local talents, like the people I have worked with and hope to work with in the future.”
“Lots of my friends are interested in telling local stories connected to Malta,” he adds. “But without local distribution, how can we share these talents?”
As a producer he is currently in post-production on The Home Straight, a feature film directed and coproduced by Keith Tedesco with support from the Malta Film Commission. Set in the world of athletics, it follows student and retired runner Serena Segalle, who despite the discouragement of being born with a club foot, came out of retirement to become one of Europe’s top sprinters.
“Every year our film fund supports local films, but we need more of it in the context of a larger financial structure. There are so many potentially great films from our local artists and producers.”
He noted a big increase in the number of short films being made and their positive effect on bringing out needed voices. Again through the support of the Malta Film Commission, he will direct and produce the short film Honour, Fame & Glory, another sports drama about a boxing coach who lives through a tragedy.
Asked about the role of the Mediterrane Film Festival and how it can boost local production, Fenech has no doubts. “I really like the idea of the festival and its ability to bring foreign producers and directors here. It’s very important to showcase our work and to share our vision with people from abroad. It’s exciting to be a part of something like this.” He plans to see at least two films, the eccentric Greek fantasy Minore and Yorgos Lanthimos’s Kinds of Kindness.
