Female Driven Doco Focused on Malta's Rebellious Women Wrapped

One day before we left Malta for a re-location move we managed to wrap our second documentary No Woman is an Island.

No Woman is an Island is an exploration into what it means to be a woman in Malta right now when your views and methods of self-expression are misunderstood and seen as unconventional in the eyes of locals. Through interviews with five women who are pushing political and social boundaries, while challenging traditional gender norms, we discover the current issues facing women and pinpoint where change still needs to be made.

Deliberately and candidly shot through the female gaze, through the eyes of Malta's unconventional, innovative female free thinkers, No Woman is an Island is a documentary that is sure to cause a stir in Malta. The themes of the doco fit in well with Malta’s current social justice climate that sees women still shouting to be heard across various areas that affect the daily lives of women across the island.

We are super excited for the release of this one as it really is going to be a talking point in Malta and get a discussion flowing. Hopefully, this stir will be part of the change of attitude and action Malta needs in order to start seeing women as equals and individuals worthy of equal rights.

Find out more and follow the film’s page here.

No Woman is an Island Begins Production

Production has begun on our latest documentary titled No Woman is an Island, which interviews innovative, free-thinking women in Malta, and explores what it is like to be loud, independent, and defiantly female on a small island that is often conservative.

Our first interview was with Undine LaVerve, Malta's pioneering and premier burlesque artist. It was a revealing conversation an absolute pleasure to film with her.

Over the next month we are aiming to complete production on this documentary and then begin post-production in August. A release is planned for late 2021 and we look forward to bringing you more news about the progress of No Woman is an Island. Stay tuned and follow the progress here, on the offical page.

YouthMundus in November

Our educational film Daughter has been invited to be part of YouthMundus - A New Global Content & Music Festival Initiative for Youth, run and organised by a team of dedicated women who own and operate an international entertainment and media company, Inner Voice Artists (IVA).

Mid September, director Sarah Jayne and producer/ editor Ivan Malekin spoke with the Iva’s Founder & CEO Ina Petersen and Iva’s Head of PR Dijana Stupar, via a video chat in order for the IVA team to understand the background of the film and the final outcome we want for Daughter.

The chat was a success, with our goals for Daughter and IVA’s aligning perfectly - to use film to spread the message of how toxic violence against women and victim blaming is within our communities through the voice of today’s youth.

The first festival edition of YouthMundus runs from 14th to 17th November, 2019 at EX CASERMA GUIDO RENI in Rome, Italy, with Daughter screening in the humanity section of the festival, November 17th from 3.45pm, Short Film Screenings 6.

Tickets on sale now!

Our Lady in Netherlands

Some good news this month. Our first micro-short in the Life Improvised series has been selected into the MoziMotion Film Festival in the Netherlands, which runs from October 5th-13th. The improvised micro short stars local actor Marysia S. Peres as a woman waiting for her date at a Maltese festa, and was shot in Naxxar, right in the middle of the celebrations, marching bands, fireworks, spectacle. A lot of fun!

Summer Poster launch

Here it is, a first look at the second character poster for the feature film To Hold The Moon we are currently developing.

This is the character poster for Summer Alba, played by Australian actor Asleen Mauthoor, who is now based in London.

In the film, aspiring actor and playwright Summer is struggling in her career, with her one-woman theatre show failing to find an audience in London. So in an attempt to retreat into the arms of her lover, take her mind off work, and find herself again Summer spontaneously flies to Malta to join her partner Lucinda, an up-and-coming movie actor who is deep in pre-production for a cult-hit zombie film.

Summer, naive to the bad timing, clings to Lucinda and wants to know the future of their relationship, reaching for a way to rekindle the spark the pair once shared. Summer needs to deal with personal feelings of failure, lack of life direction, and faltering communication with Lucinda. But Summer's efforts to mend the cracked relationship prove more complicated than anticipated, and a heated new friendship in Malta confuses Summer further, leading her to new passions and heartaches, and, ultimately, new perspectives.

To learn more about To Hold the Moon visit the website here and sign up to the official film newsletter to stay updated with the behind the scenes news.

The poster was designed by Kathy Kennedy with photography by Kristian Pirotta and make-up by Mirjana Laferlita. We love it and hope you do too. If you do, share it around.

Improvised In Berlin

While in Berlin during the most of the month of May we shot our fourth micro short under the Life Improvised banner, called Cry Me a River .

The story centres around one character who has just received some bad news and her the world goes on as she tries to process the news, shedding tears publicly, only to be ignored by strangers who she encounters.

Together with our small team made up of our friends in Berlin, we had a tight knit crew - Laura on sound, Robbert as DP, Kelsey as the main character, and Ivan and Sarah Jayne co-directing, plus two extras and a couple of on-the-spot participants we recruited on the day. Together we managed to shoot this micro short in just 3 hours at the gorgeous Treptower Park in Berlin on a perfect day.

We are very happy with the footage but It may be a while until we post it on our YouTube and Vimeo Channels as we have a backlog of projects, including the previous Life Improvised film shot in Melbourne called XChange to edit and share.

More news to follow shortly on this film and the progress.

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Daughter & Il KINO

When Daughter screened in Berlin’s Il-Kino as part of Grrl Haus Cinema’s Screen your Film in Berlin Seminar’, it was a mainstream affair due to Il-Kino being a more traditional cinema setting with a single screen. The audience was a mix of the general public people who attended teh first screening at LoopHole for the same Seminar. It was a medium size crowd and the film selection was a mash up of traditional film, docos, and mix media video pieces.    

On the big screen, the sound design from Mark Farrow was outstanding and really added an edge to the performances. Unfortunately the aspect ratio was incorrect, but that is something filmmakers have to deal with often. No questions came from the crowd to director Sarah Jayne, but host and curator of Grrl Haus cinema Anastasia did ask the director about her educational intent for the film.

Overall the experience was one ING and Sarah Jayne were proud to have had the opportunity of being part of. It’s always a thrill to have your work show to a neutral audience instead of your own film community and acquaintances, which was often the case at our Melbourne screenings.

Spreading the word about what you and your company do at any opportunity is something that we truly believe in. 

TO stay up-to date and get this news first, including images we have not shared here on the website, sign up to our Newsletter - Creatively Connected now.

Sarah Jayne centre, with fellow filmmakers including the other program participant Adina from New York on the right.

Hello from Berlin

Written by Director Sarah Jayne

What a fabulous time I am having in this wonderful city, Berlin. I am currently enjoying a mix of work and play and have found that it is a huge city with so much to see and do. My Airbnb is in Neukölln, which gives me easy access to not only a lot of wonderful middle-eastern foods, hipster cafes, but a very reliable train line to anywhere I need to go.

Riding through Berlin on Monday

The Grrl Haus official first meet-up took place last night and everyone is so lovely and creative, it is great to be in that space with likeminded identifying females. The other women all seem to be from America, mostly New York, which is really cool as New York is a city I also adored and felt connected with during my travels a couple of years back. I know have Grrl Haus merch that I will be parading around Berlin, a tote, some postcards, a few posters a brochure with my profile and picture in it and soon, I will receive my t-shirt.

For those in Berlin, the first screening of my work (and NPG’s) is on at the 15th May at Loophole, where we will screen the Berlin section of In Corpore. The second takes place at Il-Kino on the 21st May, where we will screen Daughter.

The Grrl Haus social media event banner for the first screening at Loophole.

There will be much to announce on our Instagram page as things progress, which is where I am uploading a video of the day as part of my 20 Days in Berlin series, which gets stored in Highlights afterwards. Plus I also post one picture a day of my Berlin adventure for that day, This is the best way to keep up-to date on the adventure.

Oblomov Kreuzkoelin Bar where the Grrl Haus first meeting took place.

Ivan joins me tomorrow, Wednesday 15th, just in time to come and show his support and work with me in Berlin for 11 days. On the 16th we also have a private cast and crew screening with our In Corpore Berlin people and on the 25th we will shoot our next Life Improvised story, reprising the complex characters of Milana and Rosalie from In Corpore Berlin section.

Skype meeting with Savo and Sarah for Malta to Berlin regarding Life Improvised

So many good things for NPG happening in Berlin. Please follow our progress on social media and if you want exclusive BTS photographs of the Life Improvised shoot, you will have to sign up to our newsletter.

Grrl Haus chosen for social media promotion of our film In Corpore (Berlin section only)

Women Deliver

Our biggest news of the month comes in the form of a film festival selection for Daughter, our award winning educational short film starring Katherine Langford, which explores gendered violence and victim blaming. It is only fitting that Daughter is heading to Vancouver Canada to be part of the Women Deliver film festival, within the Women Deliver 2019 Conference as the event is the largest conference on gender equality and the health, rights and wellbeing of girls and women. The festival runs for three days from June 3rd - 6th.

Director and writer Sarah Jayne will not be in attendance, but instead she will work behind the scenes while in Berlin for another Daughter screening during May. In the hope of securing further screenings and opportunities, Sarah Jayne will promote the film's selection, reach out to organisations via email and social media to spread the word on the screening and the films overall educational importance.

Daughter is a short film just keeps on going. We are very grateful for the opportunities it's generated for Nexus Production Group, but more importantly we are always thrilled when it gets recognised, as the message needs to keep spreading in order for change to happen. For more about Women Deliver click here.

European cinema screening

Huge news for Friends, Foes & Fireworks in Malta! The film will have a special singular event screening at Spazju Kreattiv, the premiere cultural space in Valletta, Malta, on May 9th. The screening will be followed by a discussion and Q&A with directors Sarah Jayne and Ivan Malekin.

Tickets are now on sale through the cinemas website, at regular cinema prices. Catch this award-winning, completely improvised drama exploring relationships, love, friendship, and the truths we try but fail to keep to ourselves on the big screen. Book your tickets today.

Double Distribution Deal

We are strong believers in financially supporting filmmakers and artists, enabling them to generate a living from their art and continue producing work that matters. So when we heard about IndieFlix through an interview with founder Scilla Andreen on the Indie Film Hustle Podcast, we were excited to learn just how and why this US platform gives back to indie filmmakers and keen to join ourselves. 

Now, we are thrilled and proud to say both Daughter and Friends, Foes & Fireworks have just been released on IndieFlix.

IndieFlix is run by filmmakers, so they get it – unlike Amazon, IndieFlix pay filmmakers for every minute their movie is watched so it is a win-win model that increases the filmmaker’s payout as the company expands.

Learn more about the IndieFlix model and browse the wide selection of film genres on their website.

BERLIN CALLING

NPG are happy to announce that writer / director Sarah Jayne is one of three artists selected to take part in GRRL HAUS CINEMA's 2 week intensive "Screen Your Film" seminar in Berlin with her short film Daughter.

GRRL HAUS is a space for underrepresented female voices in the arts today, with an emphasis on low budget and DIY artists, and their cinema program is celebration of women artists, showcasing works through ongoing programs, made up of short films and video art, created by women.

For GRRL HAUS’s monthly events a mix of local, national, and international artists present work from a variety of disciplines: narrative, documentary, experimental, and conceptual. And it is pretty much the same concept for the inaugural 2 week intensive "Screen Your Film" seminar in Berlin.

MONTHLY GRRL HAUS CINEMA SCREENING IN BERLIN - IMAGE GRRL HAUS CINEMA WEBSITE

Sarah Jayne will be attending in May from the 13th onwards, and during the two weeks, she has the chance to network at events set up by GRRL HAUS during the evening, explore Berlin and immerse herself in the city’s culture by day, shoot her own Life Improvised micro short and meet new people.

Two events Daughter and Sarah Jayne will be a featured part of are the main screenings - the first her own individually curated film screening (at a yet to be announced art space) where she has the chance to speak directly to the audience after the screening about the film. The second event is the main, GRRL HAUS CINEMA event, held at Il- Kino Cinema during the second week of the seminar, where all the artists take part in a Q&A after a screening of the films.

This experience is Sarah Jayne’s first major push of her work as am individual director, her first seminar and film networking event outside of Australia and an experience she, as well as NPG are looking forward to for many reasons.

Sarah Jayne hopes to document as much of her experience as possible, to create a small visual diary of sorts of her experiences. Of course, she will post regularly on her Instagram account. Let’s see if she can fit all this into her busy two week schedule.

Watch this space.