Mediterrane Film Festival
mediterrane.com · June, Valletta
The biggest film event on the Maltese calendar and one of the most exciting festivals in the Mediterranean region. Now in its fourth edition, Mediterrane takes over Valletta each June with a programme spanning mainstream competition, Mediterranean new voices, environmental cinema and a dedicated Malta Focus strand showcasing homegrown shorts and features. The 2025 edition drew over 11,400 attendees; the 2026 edition expands further with five competition strands and the Golden Bee Awards as its centrepiece. All ticket proceeds go to Maltese cancer charity Puttinu Cares. Previous industry masterclasses have featured Mike Leigh, Nathan Crowley, Catherine Hardwicke and Rick Carter. If you want to understand where Maltese cinema sits in the world, this is the room to be in.
Visit site ↗Malta International Film Festival
November–December, Various venues
Running for over two decades, the Malta International Film Festival is one of the longest-standing celebrations of cinema on the island. Screening features, shorts and documentaries from around the world alongside local productions, it remains a key platform for emerging Maltese filmmakers to show their work alongside international competition. Keep an eye on their Facebook page for annual submission deadlines and programme announcements.
Malta Youth Film Festival
maltafilmfoundation.com · Annual
Organised by Aġenzija Żgħazagħ in collaboration with the Malta Film Commission, the Malta Youth Film Festival is open to filmmakers aged 16 to 30 and has been quietly producing remarkable work for years. Past winners include Indydog regulars Bruce Micallef Eynaud (best storytelling and best picture), Jeremy Vella (best direction) and Clive Brincat (best cinematography). If you're a young Maltese filmmaker looking for your first competitive platform, this is where many of the names on Indydog got their start.
Visit site ↗April Fools Short Film Challenge
aprilfoolsfilmfestival.com · Malta
Bold, ridiculous, fearless. April Fools is Malta's comedy short film challenge — inviting filmmakers to make something funny, shocking, clever, stupid, chaotic, or completely unhinged for a big-screen audience that came to laugh. No budget required, no experience necessary, no mercy given. Teams of any level are welcome: professionals, students, first-timers and complete lunatics alike. Films screen on the big screen, which is the whole point. Dates and full rules for 2027 are coming soon — start planning now. Several Indydog filmmakers are already involved.
Visit site ↗Video Nasties — Malta Horror Film Challenge
videonastiesfestival.com · Annual
Created by Indydog director Bruce Micallef Eynaud, Video Nasties is Malta's horror-specific short film challenge and festival — and it packs a full cinema. Teams compete to make the scariest, most deranged short film they can, with awards covering Best Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best SFX Makeup, Best Jump Fright, Most Disgusting Moment and Best Costume. The 2025 edition screened at Eden Cinemas to a packed house, with an awards ceremony to close the night. It's exactly what it sounds like: a community event for people who want to scare their audience. Genre filmmaking taken seriously — and enjoyed enormously.
Visit site ↗Malta Dance Film Festival
filmfreeway.com/maltadancefilmfestival · June
A newer addition to the Maltese festival circuit, the Malta Dance Film Festival celebrates the intersection of choreography and cinema. Open to international submissions, it positions Malta as a meeting point for filmmakers and movement artists exploring visual storytelling at the edge of form. Screenings take place in late June.
Visit site ↗ŻVOG Short Film Festival
kreattivita.org · Spazju Kreattiv, Valletta
ŻVOG is a curated short film festival held at Spazju Kreattiv Cinema in the heart of Valletta, showcasing a carefully selected programme of international and local short films in competition. Out of 163 submissions for its inaugural edition, 16 finalists were chosen — with Indydog films including Whitebait and Son of God both featured in the programme. An awards ceremony closes the evening. A festival for filmmakers who take the short form seriously, screened in one of Valletta's most distinctive cultural venues.
Visit site ↗Zero to Hero Short Film Festival
zerotoherofilmfestival.org · September, Embassy Cinema, Valletta
Zero to Hero exists for one reason: to celebrate films made with little or nothing. There's a hard rule — no film that cost more than €100,000 is eligible. This is a festival for filmmakers who rely on talent, tenacity and creativity rather than budget, and it screens the winners on the big screen at the Embassy Cinema in Valletta with proper trophies rather than laurels. If you've made something good with almost nothing, this is where it belongs.
Visit site ↗Island Film Gathering
Mike West · Periodic events, Malta
Created by Indydog filmmaker and actor Mike West, the Island Film Gathering is a community-driven series of screenings and industry Q&A sessions designed to connect Maltese filmmakers, actors and film lovers in the same room. Part networking event, part celebration of local work, it's one of the most honest expressions of what the Indydog community is actually about — people who love film, making time for each other.
Find What's On — GoGather.mt
gogather.mt
Malta's events scene moves fast and not everything makes it onto the big platforms. GoGather.mt is Malta's community events aggregator — pulling together film screenings, festivals, open-air events, cultural nights and everything in between into one searchable feed. If there's a one-night screening in a Valletta courtyard or a last-minute film Q&A you'd otherwise miss, GoGather is where you'll find it. Worth bookmarking.
Visit site ↗Looking for Your Next Role?
casting.mt
Malta's professional actor directory and casting platform. Whether you're a director looking for talent or an actor looking for your next project, Casting.mt connects the Maltese screen industry in one place. Verified profiles, headshots, credits and direct contact — the infrastructure the local industry has always needed. Several of the actors you'll find on Indydog have profiles there.
Visit site ↗