European film awards to be hosted in Malta in 2012

A Maltese delegation attended the recent European Film Awards Ceremony in Berlin organised by the European Film Academy. The delegation was led by Malta's Ambassador to Germany H.E. Karl Xuereb and included the Chairman of the Malta Film Commission Anthony Sammut, and the Film Commissioner Peter Busuttil.

During their stay in Berlin the delegation also held meetings with a number of companies in the film industry in order to promote Malta as a film location in Germany. The Embassy of Malta in Berlin facilitated this process by identifying possible contacts and arranging meetings.

Commenting on the event Malta's Ambassador to Germany stated "The opportunity to host the 2012 awards will be a unique opportunity to promote Malta as an ideal and competitive film location within the European Union. Within this context we will continue to support the Malta Film Commission and its collaboration with the Berlin based European Film Academy Secretariat as well as participating in the promotion of Malta as a film location in Germany."

The European Film Awards are presented annually by the European Film Academy, which unites about 2500 film professionals to recognize excellence in European cinematic achievements. The annual ceremony awards the greatest achievements in European cinema over the previous year in a total of 15 categories, including European Film, European Director, European Actress and European Actor. The host cities alternate, with Berlin hosting the event every other year, and a different European city hosting in alternate years. The European Film Awards will be hosted by Malta in 2012.The ceremony is televised on satellite television to over 50 countries, reaching millions of viewers across the continent. The awards are considered to be Europe's version of the Academy Awards.