Cats of Malta Theatrical Screenings in Japan

Ever since we began filming cats in Malta back in 2019 as a way to do some camera tests, leading to the idea of producing a feature documentary which became Cats of Malta, we dreamed about one day showing the film in Japan.

Japanese tourists have an affinity with Maltese cats, with the giant cat statue in Sliema being a favourite tourist hotspot, as highlighted in the film.

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Artist Matthew Pandolfino re-painting his famous ‘Saint of the Cats’ sculpture.

So it is great joy we can announce that Cats of Malta has landed Japanese distribution, and it will be showing in cinemas across Japan  on January 10th 2025.

Cats of Malta poster and back of the promo flyer courtesy of Fine Films.

We will be working closely with our distributor as well as our patner Malta Tourism Authority Japan to make the release as big as it can be, and from the promotion material we have seen already, we are super excited.

Find the latest on the event website.

Timely Maltese Women's Rights Film Lands on Amazon

Our timely documentary about women's rights in Malta, No Woman is an Island is now available to watch on Amazon in the US.

If you are in the US, check it out here, leave a review, and help spread the word about the struggles for equality women in Malta still face today. 

The important doco also landed a 4.5 / 5 star review from Video Librarian.

Human Rights Documentary Released

Our human rights documentary No Woman is an Island is now available to watch worldwide via Vimeo On Demand.

This powerful 54 minute documentary brings to light many current obstacles and injustices working against women in Malta, including the denial of body autonomy and the current abortion debate, gender based violence and traditional outdated ideas and expectations based around gender roles.

After screening in women's rights festivals and even being part of a protest for change in the EU Parliament, we are proud to finally share No Woman is an Island with you.

Watch No Woman is an Island here. 

Read Sarah Jayne's opinion piece about life as a woman in Malta here. 

If you're an educator in Europe and keen to utilise No Woman is an Island as part of your curriculum, please get in touch. 

Free Course: Learn about the Art Department

Our one hour course How to Become an Art Department Dynamo is now available to watch completely free on our Micro-Budget Madness Youtube Channel. 

Presented by Sarah Jayne, who has over 15 years experience working in art department roles on independent films, this course will teach you how to work as a solo art department person or as an art department person within a small team. The course is aimed at people who work on micro-budget productions or plan to in the near future.

Check it out here.

No Woman is an Island | Feminist documentary pre-sale

After a busy 2024 screening at the European Parliament in Brussels and premiering at the Women Deliver Conference in Rwanda, No Woman is an Island is now available to pre-order from our Vimeo channel. 

The documentary will be released on August 22nd. Watch the trailer below and pre-order here.

If you're an educator in Europe and keen to utilise No Woman is an Island as part of your curriculum, please get in touch. 

Film Festival fun for Roniti

While some parts of Europe has been enjoying a heat wave, our Balkan short film Roniti has been enjoying some festival fun, just in time to spread the summer vibes.

After returning from Bulgaria, where the coming of age drama screened in Pernik, Sofia as part of 21st In The Palace Short Film Festival, we got word that Roniti was also selected for one of our favourite festivals, Gozo Film Festival, Malta.

Director Ivan Malekin and producer Sarah Jayne participating in the Q&A about Roniti at the 21st In The Palace Short Film Festival, July 2024

We hope that there are more festivals to come for our 20 minute short about a mother and her teenage daughter, who on a summer holiday in Zadar must navigate their relationship after a family scandal.

Stay tuned and watch the Roniti trailer here.

Filming Double Header

We have just returned home from a road trip from Zagreb to Berlin and Prague to finish our feature film, After the Act, as well as shooting a new Life Improvised film called Sugar.

For After the Act in Berlin, we were adding pick-ups and filming new scenes, expanding the story after reviewing the edit and realizing it needed more work. The shoot had it all; fresh locations, new faces, reunions with cast and crew, challenging bike shots and moody aesthetics, plus loads of moments and laughs! 

Filming pick-ups in Berlin for After the Act

On the way home from Berlin, we stopped over in Prague to film Ivan Malekin's moral dilemma short film Sugar. The film is about Roy, a middle-aged father, estranged from his daughter, who spends a day in Prague with Karolina, a young woman he met online, navigating a complex web of loneliness, longing, and unspoken truths.

It was wonderful to film in the picturesque and surprising Bohemian capital, a city we fall madly in love with after every visit. Getting to work with actors Dalia Cohen and Owen Lindsay for the first time and local make-up artist Stefaniia Shchepankevych was also a massive positive.

Expect more updates about After the Act and Sugar as we complete post production.

In the magical city of Prague filming Sugar

Cats of Malta DVD and Blu-Ray back on sale

Earlier this year, our Media on Demand distributor handling the production of the Cats of Malta DVD and Blu-rays had a bit of a hiccup with the file, causing the sales to pause. Good news is that the issue has been fixed and both items are back on sale via Amazon, as well as other retailers. Get your collectors item today, the whole 69 minutes, including bonus features.

Find all the details where to watch Cats of Malta on the film’s website.

Balkan Film Roniti First Festival Selection

We’re thrilled to announce that our 15 min Croatian language film, Roniti has been selected for the 21st IN THE PALACE International Short Film Festival.

Part of NPG’s Life Improvised Series, the performances by the small cast were improvised, working off a concept written by Ivan Malekin. The story for Roniti was inspired by summers watching divers at Kolovare beach in Zadar and explores the tension filled relationship between a mother and her teenage daughter while away on a weekend trip.

IN THE PALACE IFF is an Academy Award qualifying film festival that has been running for 22 years and takes place at the Palace of Culture, in the town of Pernik, Bulgaria from June 29th to July 6th, 2024.

At this stage we are not sure when Roniti will screen, but we are planning to be in attendance.

Roniti trailer

Breaking the Silence in Brussels: Using documentary film to inspire change

Last week in Brussels we were part of a history making event that was breaking the silence on women's rights in Malta. On Valentines Day, Malta's ban on abortion was discussed within the European Parliament for the first time.

At the same event, our film No Woman is An Island screened and was followed up by a panel consisting of MEPs, activists, doctors and artists. To say it was an honour to attend EU Parliament in Brussels and stand with around 80 Maltese activists is an understatement.

We feel so proud of our collective efforts and no matter where you stand on the debate of abortion, it's a fair argument to state that women's body autonomy shouldn't be anyone else's business besides the woman.

After many similar discussions within EU Parliament laws were passed regarding LGBTQ rights and divorce in Malta. Now we’re waiting for the day that those responsible for European decision-making will do the same regarding the dire issues facing women and girls in Malta, particularly abortion.

The power of activism and the power of film are sometimes one and the same and both are not to be overlooked.

Thanks goes to MP Cyrus Engerer — the only Maltese politician to have voted in favour of abortion being declared a fundamental human right. Cyrus invited 'No Woman is an Island' and us, the producers to Brussels to stand with the Maltese activists within EU Parliement and on the streets at such a prestigious event.

WANT TO KNOW MORE? Read Sarah Jayne’s blog post talking about her experience in Brussels with No Woman is an Island here.

NPG's 24 Hour Feature Film Friends, Foes & Fireworks Lands on Pay TV Platform Pickx

We're happy to announce you will soon be able to stream Friends, Foes & Fireworks in Belgium, as the ink has just dried on a deal to bring our 2018 mumblecore drama to Pay TV platform Pickx.

For us it highlights the long shelf life of a film with FF&F now six years old but still attracting new platforms and ways to watch.    

Roniti Short Film Announcement

Introducing our latest short Life Improvised short film 'Roniti.’

Filmed over summer in Zadar Croatia, the synopsis is as follows; During a summer holiday, a mother and her teenage daughter must learn to navigate their strained relationship after a family scandal.

Roniti stars:

Mia Zara as Petra

Lucija Milojčić as Lorna

Ivano Črep as Andre

Dejan Marcikić as Kris

Roniti is written, directed, edited and filmed by Ivan Malekin and produced by Sarah Jayne and Ivan Malekin for NPG.

Poster designs by Sarah Jayne Portelli, featuring a mix of digital and analog formats taken on set during filming.

We’re thrilled to share a selection of posters we recently designed as we begin to submit to festivals from this week.

Cats of Malta Screening at the AFI European Union Film Showcase

Now in its 36th year, the 2023 AFI European Union Film Showcase continues its tradition of bringing the best in European cinema to DC-area audiences.

Cats of Malta will have three screenings at the showcase:

Friday, December 01, 2023 05:30 PM

Sunday, December 03, 2023 11:20 AM

Tuesday, December 05, 2023 05:00 PM

Find out more here. Don’t miss out on this special event.

ForeFans Post Progress

This month we did some reshoots and pickups for our feature film ForeFans in Budapest, reuniting with actor Nicolas Hackenberg. The feature is almost at the picture lock stage, but there is some complicated VFX to finish and song rights to secure, both of which could effect the timing of edit, so we are reluctant to declare the film "locked" until those aspects are solved. Still, we are closer to the finish line and we can wait for you to see this film. Stay tuned.

Watch Cats of Malta: Now Streaming across the US and Canada

Cats of Malta is now available to watch thorough Amazon, Hoopla, Plex and TUBI across the US and Canada.

Find the direct links to all the platforms and territories where the film can be watched everywhere else except in the US and Canada directly on the website.

Cats of Malta is also on some US cable providers and will continue to pop up. Our US distributor does not have the full list yet, but check your cable providers. You may find it.

Please leave a Rotten Tomatoes and/or IMDB review. If you watch on Amazon, please review there to help us beat the algorithm to get more people watching on that platform . Doing reviews this way assists NPG in getting Cats of Malta seen by more people, and to rise in the rankings.

So far we are doing well on Rotten Tomatoes:

Fingers crossed the love we have been receiving from our audience and the critics keeps coming. Either way, that’s show-business. No work is perfect and you can’t please everyone, art is a subjective medium.

No Woman is an Island University Screening in Malta

No Woman is an Island is coming to Malta!

This screening and panel event is proudly supported and made possible by the Australian High Commission Malta and the University of Malta. 

Opening the event is her excellency Deputy High Commissioner and Consul of the Australian High Commission Malta Jennifer Kingsman. 

After the film screening, a panel including director Sarah Jayne, Sarah Portelli, professor Marceline Naudi and Lara Dimitrijevic (Women’s Rights Foundation Malta) will discuss the film and women’s rights in Malta. 

The event will close with complimentary refreshments supplied by the Australian High Commission Malta. 

The full details are as follows:
Date and time: Friday September 22nd 6pm - 8.30pm 
Venue: University of Malta, Msida, Lecture Theatre 2
Cost: Free, but registration is required. Register here.

Check out the trailer below and if you are in Malta, we hope to see you there!

After the Act Wrapped

Yesterday we wrapped on After the Act, our fifth improvised narrative feature in the same number of years and our third time filming in Berlin.

After the Act Cast & Crew

We’re still buzzing with pride and contentment, thinking about some of the amazing performances we captured and the beautiful cinematography. The entire cast and crew were a joy to work with, the energy on set so positive, yet another reminder of why we love being on set and making films. It’s not just the stories we get to share, it’s the people we meet and create with along the way that makes this so special. Post production now begins and we can’t wait to bring you the completed film in 2024!

BTS photo of a dance club scene.

Sam (Jacob Wolf Lefton) and Mia (Laura Petracco) share a vulnerable moment.

Reviewing the shot

Sam (Jacob Wolf Lefton) contemplates his choices.

After the Act Cast Announcement

At the end of August we're shooting our latest feature After the Act, a narrative drama following a couple over a single day and night as they grapple with the aftershocks of infidelity in their relationship. 

Pre-production has been insane as we organise everything from Croatia, but building the characters with our wonderful cast of three has been our favourite part of the process.

Who are our cast?

Cast L-R: Jessica Sy as Becca, Laura Petracco as Mia and Jacob Wolf Lefton as Sam

Jessica Sy starred in the film "Survival in Brandenburg" directed by Zoltan Paul. She appeared on ZDF as a detective on "Aktenzeichen XY". Her first international advertising campaign took Jessica to Estonia under the direction of director Bugsy Steel. Currently, Jessica can be seen in the supporting role Andrea in "Bad Friday" (ZDF) directed by Tim Trageser.

Laura Petracco recently graduated from the Vienna English Theatre academy where she received classical training, performing from Shakespeare to original ensemble based shows. Currently she is part of the Spanish Theatre association in Vienna, Soles del Sur.

Jacob Wolf Lefton has a varied path in the performing arts, starting with youth with theater, improvisation and theatrical roleplay. He has studied storytelling, theater, commedia dell'arte, and circus arts. He completed a two-year intensive program and teacher training at the Michael Chekhov International Academy in Berlin.

We can’t wait to get to Berlin and start the rehearsals with these talented people.

European Dates Announced for Cats of Malta

We shot Cats of Malta many moons and a whole pandemic ago. And now, on International Cat Day, we are thrilled to share our European release dates + territories.

Our award-winning family (and feline) friendly documentary will be released on Apple TV and Amazon on the following dates and in the following territories:

• September 21st — Malta + Spanish-speaking Latin American territories

• September 25th — UK and Ireland

• October 11th — France , Belgium, Luxembourg, Switzerland

A week before these dates there will be a pre-sale, so we will send another update closer to the date as a reminder. The documentary will be available in English, Spanish, and French.

Of course there are more territories to come, including the US and Australia. But for now, if you live in one of the territories above, mark the dates in your diary.

Find out more and join the Cats of Malta mailing list here.

Wrapped on Roniti

We just wrapped on our latest short film in the Life Improvised series, called Roniti, and we couldn’t be more thrilled. Roniti means "diving" or "swimming underwater" in Croatian and is about a mother and daughter holidaying in Zadar while navigating their strained relationship after a family scandal.

The team was small but amazing, wonderful camaraderie, and when dedicated people come together for the common goal of creating art we can all be proud of, it always serves as a beautiful reminder of why we make films. Here is a fun behind the scenes video about the shoot.