Maltese feature film Żejtune has secured its second international award in just over a week after winning the Audience Award at the 19th Mediterranean Film Festival Split in Croatia.The award was announced during the festival’s closing ceremony on Saturday, adding another milestone to the film’s growing international success.Writer and director Alex Camilleri, who attended the festival in Split, thanked audiences for the warm reception given to the film.He also expressed gratitude to the cast, crew, producers and funders who helped bring the project to life.The latest recognition comes shortly after Camilleri won the Best Screenplay, International Narrative Feature award at the 2026 Tribeca Film Festival in New York.Żejtune follows Mar, played by Michela Farrugia, a young woman determined to leave Malta behind. Her plans are disrupted when she meets Nenu, portrayed by debut actor Nenu Borg, an ageing għana singer whose music reconnects her with Malta’s traditions and cultural heritage.The film’s international journey is far from over. Following its success in Croatia, Żejtune is set to make its Spanish premiere at the 41st Cinema Jove, International Film Festival of Valencia later this week, where it will compete in the festival’s Official Feature Film Section.The film has also expanded its international reach through distribution deals across the Balkans and a confirmed theatrical release in Bulgaria later this year.Meanwhile, HBO Europe has acquired VOD and Pay TV rights for the Balkans and other Eastern European territories.Since premiering at the Göteborg Film Festival and later making its North American debut at Tribeca, Żejtune has continued to attract audiences both locally and abroad.The film remains on screen in Malta at Embassy Cinemas in Valletta and Spazju Kreattiv, where it has already recorded more than 9,000 admissions, making it one of the most-watched Maltese films of all time.What do you make of its international success?•