Maltese film in race for Oscars

Maltese film Simshar has been accepted for consideration in the upcoming edition of the Oscars. The local production is among 83 films which have made it into the race for the category of Best Foreign Film in the 87th edition of the Academy Awards. Widely touted as the most prestigious of cinematic accolades, no Maltese film has ever been in the running for one of the coveted golden statuettes before. The semi-fictional film, inspired by the tragedy which struck a Maltese fishing boat bearing the same name back in 2008, is fused with the irregular migration saga in the Mediterranean. The vessel exploded while out at sea, killing four, but the chain of events has remained shrouded in mystery. While its crew of four and a young boy survived the initial blast, all eventually succumbed to the sea and the scorching sun except one, Simon Bugeja, who was rescued after an intensive search operation. Rebecca Cremona, who co-wrote and directed the production, told Times of Malta, the inclusion of the film was a milestone for the local industry. “To be in the running for these awards one has to meet a lot of very high standards. This is the first time a Maltese production has been accepted...