‘To Catch a Spy’, a Hallmark TV film that takes place on our very own island with a host of Maltese actors, is out now.
The film was directed by Jeff Beesley and written by Rick Garman. It stars Nathalie Kelley, Patti Murin and Colin Donnell who referred to the country as “beautiful Malta”. Donnell and Murin are real-life husband and wife. They have one daughter.
It was filmed in various Maltese spots and a whopping 90% of the cast and crew were Maltese. The local talent included: Clare Agius, Michael Basmadjian, Gianni Selvaggi, Antonella Axisa, Becky Camilleri, Jonathan Dunn, Joe Azzopardi, Edward Thorpe, Erica Muscat, Paul Portelli and Michelle Martin.
The story kicks off with the arrival of a journalist Chloe (Kelley), who is covering the opening of a hotel in Malta. On her first night on the island, Chloe witnesses someone fall to their death, after hearing a fight happening in another room. The journalist starts to help an FBI agent (Donnell) to solve the mystery of what happened and to catch the killer.
To Catch A Spy had a budget of €2 million and it was produced by Agnes Bristow, Colin Azzopardi, Borga Dorter and associate producer Christopher Landry. The film premiered on 20th June.
This is the latest Hallmark original to film in Malta, following February’s Mix Up in the Mediterranean, which starred Jessica Lowndes and Jeremy Jordan.
Luzzu is a 2021 Maltese drama film directed and written by Alex Camilleri. The film stars Jesmark Scicluna, Michela Farrugia and David Scicluna. The film had its world premiere at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival in January 2021 and rave reviews, It is the first Maltese film ever to premiere at the prestigious Sundance Festival with Jesmark Scicluna, a real Maltese fisherman, winning Special Jury Award for his role in the film.
It depicts the homegrown tale of the two real fishermen as they come to terms with the hardships of their industry in the modern age, turning towards an illegal black market to care for their family and livelihood.
Director Alex Camilleri, is already planning his next feature based around Malta and he’s ready to show a completely different side to the country. He was tight-lipped on what the movie is about but hinted that it would be a far more happy tone to Luzzu.
Luzzu will get its first theatrical release in Malta on 8th September 2021, with a limited red carpet event taking place a few days earlier on 3rd September.
In the Hallmark movie Mix Up in the Mediterranean, which was shot in its entirety in Malta, a small-town cook impersonates his big city chef twin to compete in a culinary contest and falls for the woman in charge of the event, who thinks he is the brother who is married.
The film is a Malta / Canada co-production between local producer Colin Azzopardi along with his Canadian colleague Leif Bristow. Colin organised and took care of all the Malta side of things whilst the post-production was done abroad. “We used various locations in Malta, but the main location was in and around the Phoenicia Hotel, who were extremely accommodating throughout the making of the film,” Colin says. Other locations included Merchant’s Street and Upper Barakka Gardens in Valletta, and Palazzo Parisio in Naxxar.
