For the 8th consecutive year, Kinemastik will be hosting open-air screenings on the Valletta and Floriana bastions on Saturday the 4th and Sunday the 5th of August. For two nights both local and international short films will compete for the much sought-after jury prize, the Kinemastik Golden Dot.

Alongside the festival, between the 27July and 5 August, Kinemastik will also organise a children’s film festival, a workshop in film directing, talks by American filmmaker Matt Lambert, exhibitions by Ali Tollervey and the Bare Bones collective (UK), Deejay sets Kapitol K, Woody Aki and Phil Adams, and a concert by Dark Horses (UK).

Kinemastik seeks to link young filmmakers in Malta to the world of cinema and provide them with a platform for their work, through local screenings as well as through worldwide distribution of locally produced work.

Celebrating the 75th anniversary of the British Council in Malta, the British Council and Kinemastik are hosting a number of British filmmakers, musicians and artists at this year’s festival.

The festival week will kick off on Friday, 27 July in a subway underpass in Floriana. Photographer and deejay Ali Tollervey’s photo exhibition will be followed by the festival’s opening party with an exciting line up of local and international deejays, including London electronica artist Capitol K, Uncle Al from Brighton and local deejay Danjeli.

On 28 July, the band Dark Horses from Brighton will be giving an exclusive concert to launch their new album at the Floriana Ditch (next to Porte des Bombes) at 8pm. Dark Horses will be preceded by Capitol K’s solo act, and local band Dolls For Idols.

From 31 July to 2 August British film director Wiz will hold a workshop in film directing for adults. The workshop will take place in Valletta. Wiz has made music videos for David Bowie, Marilyn Manson, Massive Attack, Oasis, Chemical Brothers, Kasabian, Arctic Monkeys and Dizzee Rascal. The events shall conclude with the projection of works created during the workshop. For more info, contact kinemastik@gmail.com putting ‘Wiz workshop’ as subject.

Participants will also be able to attend talks by American filmmaker Matt Lambert at the Herbert Ganado Gardens, Floriana. Currently based in Berlin, Matt Lambert is a filmmaker, artist and head of Video for London-based multidisciplinary art collective Bare Bones.

On August 4 Bare Bones will showcase their latest works at the film festival venue, the Herbert Ganado Gardens. Bare Bones are a collective of artists and writers who self publish a free newspaper which is distributed in London and Paris.

On 5 August at 8:30pm the Children’s Film Festival will take place at the Herbert Ganado Gardens showcasing the latest short films for children.

From 31 July to the 2 August, Carla MacKinnon will hold a workshop for teenagers (age 12-17) in documentary making. The workshop will take place in Valletta, at the Malta Tourism Authority (Auberge d'Italie, 
Merchants Street, Valletta). The number of participants is limited. Those interested, should send a brief biography and give their reason for why they want to participate in this workshop to kinemastik@gmail.com. Please put ‘Carla workshop’ as subject.

The Kinemastik International Short Film Festival will take place on 4-5 August at 8.30 pm in Herbert Ganado Gardens. The public will be invited to vote for their favourite film.

There are several UK entries this yearincluding the BAFTA’s winner Pitch Dark Heist by John Maclean and this year’s BIFA Awards Best British Film, The Chalk by Martina Amati.

Both Maltese and international films will be competing for Jury Prize, Kinemastik’s Golden Dot. The jury is made up of director Wiz, Carla MacKinnon, Matt Lambert and local filmmaker Kenneth Scicluna.

For more info and bookings please visit http://www.kinemastik.org