The third installment of Maltas Mediterrane Film Festival now officially has a lineup.

Set to take place in Valletta, the islands capital, from June 21-29, the festival has confirmed more than 40 films from 20 countries, set a series of masterclass presentations featuring filmmakers like Joe Carnahan and Catherine Hardwicke, and locked a Golden Bee Lifetime Achievement Award honoree in Jeremy Thomas, founder of Recorded Picture Company.

The 10 films making up the main competition are as follows: Uberto PasolinisThe Returnstarring The English Patient vets Ralph FiennesandJuliette Binoche;Rebecca Lenkiewiczsdirectorial debut,Hot Milk,adapted from the novel by Deborah Levy and starring Vicky Krieps and Emma Mackey; Guido Chiesas For the Love of a Woman; Athina Rachel Tsangaris Harvest based on the novel by Jim Crace; Maltese directorJoshua Cassar GasparsThe Theft of the Caravaggio; Amel Guellatys Where The Wind Comes From about a young couples road trip through Tunisia;Igor Bezinovis meta documentaryFiume o Morte!; Seloua El Gounis The Wound; Hlne CattetandBruno Forzanis genre mysteryReflection in a Dead Diamond; andJulio Medems8. Titles plucked to screen out of competition at the Mediterrane Film Festival include Ira Sachs Sundance Film Festival debutPeter Hujars DaystarringBen Whishaw, Rebecca Hall; Malta-set erotic thrillerCompulsionby Neil Marshall starring and co-written by Charlotte Kirk;Polly Steeles Four Letters of LovestarringPierce Brosnan, Helena Bonham Carter and Gabriel Byrne; Chris ReadingsTime Travel is Dangerous starring Johnny Vegas, Jane Horrocks, Sophie Thompson and Mark Heap and narrated by Stephen Fry; Iain Forsyth and Jane PollardsThe Extraordinary Miss Flowerstarring Icelandic singer-songwriter Emilana Torrini; James Griffiths The Ballad of Wallis Islandstarring Tom Basden, Carey Mulligan and Tim Key;Andrew Ahns The Wedding BanquetstarringLily Gladstone, Bowen Yang, Kelly Marie Tran and Joan Chen; the Jakarta-set post-war period thrillerLove is a Battlefield;Piotr Winiewiczs experimental film About a Hero,which mixes artificial intelligence and the work of German auteur Werner Herzog with his permission.

The 2025 Mediterrane Film Festival also features a sidebar curated in collaboration with FilmItalia that celebrates new Italian female filmmakers: Giulia Louise Steigerwalts porn-meets-politics retelling in Diva Futura starring Pietro Castellitto, Barbara Ronchi and Denise Capezza; Margherita Vicarios rousing musicalGloria!about a group of confined young women in 18th century Venice; and Maria Grazia PerriasLove and Glory The Long Deleddaabout the life of Sardinian novelist Grazia Deledda.

In other sidebar news, the festivals Mare Nostrum section, which is curated around themes of climate and environmentalism, will feature Sandra WinthersLowland Kids about the last two teenagers on Louisianas Isle de Jean Charles;Eleanor Mortimers How Deep is Your Loveabout undiscovered sea creatures amid the threat of sea mining;Pia Marais Amazon jungle-set Transamazonia; Lo Faviers Miyazaki: Spirit of Nature about the life and works of Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki; David Bautes animatedBlack Butterflies;andRobin Petrs Only on Earth about Galicia, one of Europes most wildfire-prone areas, and its impact on horses.

As previously reported, this years jury includes Hardwicke (Twilight), Oscar winning production designer Rick Carter (Avatar), costume designer Charlese Antoinette (Air), set decorator Elli Griff (Napoleon), production designer James Price (Poor Things), Maltese director Mario Philip Azzopardi (ZOS: Zone of Separation). The jury will determine the recipients of the Golden Bee Awards, a list that will be unveiled at a gala on June 29.

In addition to sessions with Carnahan and Hardwicke, the festivals masterclass presentations will also feature jury members Carter and Griff, lifetime achievement award honoree Thomas, and Amazon Original Movies head of physical production Glenn Gainor.

This years festival is being curated with the theme We Are Film, which is meant to be a reflection of the festivals mission to unite creators and audiences in honoring the universal language of film. It also very much aligns with a major Malta milestone: 2025 marks 100 years of filmmaking in the area, dating back to its first feature film, 1925sSons of the Sea. In the century since, it has become a hot production hub thanks to its architecture, landscapes and water-based facilities at Malta Film Studios. Movies that have been shot in the area includeGladiator, Troy, Game of Thrones, Napoleonand many more.

As we celebrate 100 years of filmmaking in Malta, were honored to welcome an exceptional panel of judges who reflect the depth, diversity, and global reach of contemporary cinema. Together with our festival curator, Mark Adams, were committed to shaping a program that not only honors Maltas cinematic past but also champions bold new voices from across the Mediterranean and beyond,said festival director Ray Calleja.

Added Malta film commissioner Johann Grech: The Mediterrane Film Festival was born from a simple yet powerful idea to connect creative minds from the Mediterranean and across Europe and transform their ideas into reality.We stand for opportunity, collaboration and creativity.

More information about this years Mediterrane Film Festival and its lineup can be found here.

A shot of the sea off the coast of Malta, home to the Mediterrane Film Festival. Courtesy of Mediterrane Film Festival