Pitching at Mipcom
- cannes
- mipcom
- julia
Waiting to Hear from Julia at MIPCOM Cannes
From Marsaxlokk to Cannes
This October, director Shirley Spiteri Mintoff and line producer Felicity Babao took Waiting to Hear from Julia to MIPCOM in Cannes. They spent three days pitching the film to European producers, distributors and financiers.
MIPCOM is one of the world's largest markets for film, television and streaming content. Each autumn, buyers, broadcasters, platforms and producers from around the world gather there to do business. For a small company from a small island, it can feel overwhelming, but it is also where many international partnerships begin.
Shirley and Felicity formed part of the Creative Europe MEDIA umbrella stand, the European Union's shared base for producers from MEDIA countries. Being part of that stand gave a Maltese project a place alongside the rest of the European independent sector, and a natural starting point for conversations about co-production.
Three days of pitching
The days were full: back-to-back meetings with European producers and distributors, conversations with major players in film and television, and many introductions in between. In each meeting, they told the story of Matteo, a grieving widower sealed into lockdown with his estranged daughter, and explained where the project stands.
The pitch relied on three main elements:
- A clear creative identity. A contained psychological drama in Maltese, from a first-time feature director, with a writer-lead who has lived with the character for years.
- Momentum. €347,000 in production funding from Arts Council Malta, a completed script and a teaser already shot.
- A defined opening for a partner. A minority co-production slot that, now that Malta is a member of Eurimages, can unlock European co-production funding.
The feedback on the project was very good, and it confirmed that a small, precise film with a strong local identity can travel.
Just as valuable were the people: producers facing the same challenges in their own small markets, and professionals generous with their time and advice. We came home with new contacts, and new allies, to build on.
See it for yourself
The reel shows Shirley and Felicity on the stand, in meetings and at the market over the three days.
What comes next
Cannes was a first step into the international market, not the last. Over the coming months, we will follow up on every conversation, continue our search for a minority co-producer in a Creative Europe MEDIA territory, and prepare our Eurimages application, with principal photography planned for 2027.
If you met us in Cannes, thank you. If you didn't and Waiting to Hear from Julia sounds like a project for you, whether as a co-producer, sales agent, distributor or financier, we'd be glad to talk. Write to us at info@motionblur.com.mt
New to the film? Read our overview of the project [link to the first blog post], or the FilmNewEurope feature.
Kunsill Malti għall-Arti / Arts Council Malta
This project is supported by Arts Council Malta. Waiting to Hear from Julia received funding through Arts Council Malta's Screen Support Scheme: Strand 2 (Development), 2025, and Strand 4 (Production), 2026. Find out more at artscouncil.mt.