Luzzu

Jesmark, a Maltese fisherman, contends with a newfound leak in his wooden luzzu boat. Barely getting by, he sees his livelyhood – and a family tradition from generations before him – imperiled by diminishing harvests, a ruthless fishing industry, and a stagnating ecosystem. Desperate to provide for his wife and their newborn son, whose growth impediment requires treatment, Jesmark gradually slips into an illicit black-market fishing operation.

Alex Camilleri is a Maltese-American writer, director, and producer. His debut feature, Luzzu — a rare, locally-made Maltese film — premiered to wide acclaim at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival, where it won the Special Jury Award for Acting in recognition of Jesmark Scicluna, a real fisherman appearing in his first-ever acting role. The film has been an audience favorite and won awards from an ongoing list of prestigious festivals. Luzzu will be released in 2021 in over a dozen territories worldwide. Camilleri is repped by WME and currently preparing his sophomore feature, also to be set in Malta.