By Emma Borg

Copyright timesofmalta

In the year Malta celebrates a century of filmmaking, the country will not be submitting a film for the Academy Awards. The decision has left the only local feature film director of 2025, Keith Tedesco, voicing his frustration publicly. Tedesco is the director of Ciao Ciao, the only Maltese feature film released this year. On Thursday, he took to social media after learning his film would not be submitted to the Oscars. “Incompetence. Malta would rather submit nothing than submit Ciao Ciao to the Oscars as the official entry. Never have I felt so embarrassed and ashamed to be Maltese,” he wrote on the film’s official social media pages. They said that committee members are vetted and pre-approved by the Academy, and that applicants must meet specific eligibility criteria to be considered. “The deliberation and voting involved by this assessment is clearly delineated and ensures impartiality, fairness, and compliance with international best practices,” they said. “Just because there is a submission, it doesn’t mean that it will proceed to become Malta’s entry. Malta, like several other countries, doesn’t submit every year.” The organisations noted that while they value the work of local filmmakers, their duty is to balance that passion with the responsibility to follow Academy guidelines. “By doing so, we safeguard the standing of Maltese submissions and help pave the way for stronger recognition of Malta’s creative talent internationally.” Contacted by Times of Malta, MEIA and MPA explained that the last time Malta didn’t submit a film to the Oscars was in 2023. “Malta has submitted three films over the past eleven years. There is nothing exceptional about this year,” they said.