Alex Camilleri wins Best Screenplay Award for Żejtune at Tribeca Film Festival

Maltese writer and director Alex Camilleri has won the Best Screenplay Award at the 2026 Tribeca Film Festival for his feature film Żejtune.

The award was presented last night during the Tribeca Festival Awards ceremony in New York City. Żejtune was selected to compete in the festival's International Competition, one of the festival's most prestigious sections dedicated to contemporary world cinema.

The award was decided by the International Narrative Competition jury, composed of film executive Amanda Trokan, producer and Marrakech International Film Festival director Mélita Toscan du Plantier, and acclaimed actor Benedict Wong.

Speaking on behalf of the jury during the awards ceremony, Wong described Żejtune as “a film about reclaiming, reconnection, and preserving history as well as music. Not only did the writing manage to pull us into a world we on the jury hadn’t been before but it supported the brilliant performances of its leads and allowed them to shine”.

Upon receiving the award, Camilleri said it was an honour to tell stories from Malta and thanked the festival for giving the film the opportunity to share a part of Maltese culture with audiences at an important international festival such as Tribeca. Camilleri also thanked the cast, producers and crew who made the film possible.

Co-founded by Academy Award-winning actor Robert De Niro, the Tribeca Film Festival is one of the leading cultural events in the United States and a major platform for international cinema.

Żejtune celebrated its North American premiere before a near-capacity audience on Saturday 6 June 2026 and received two additional screenings during its New York run. Camilleri attended the festival alongside producers Oliver Mallia and Ramin Bahrani, lead actress Michela Farrugia and actor Nenu Borg.

Produced by Pellikola, Solari Productions and Noruz Films in co-production with One Two Films, Żejtune follows Mar, a young woman determined to leave Malta behind, whose plans are disrupted by an encounter with an ageing għana singer whose music reconnects her with the island's traditions and cultural heritage.

Following its Tribeca success, Żejtune will continue its international festival journey this month with screenings at the Festival du Film de Cabourg in France, Cinema Jove in Valencia, Spain, and the Mediterranean Film Festival in Split, Croatia.

The film is currently in its tenth week of release in Malta and continues to screen daily at Embassy Cinemas in Valletta. Additional screenings will also be held at Spazju Kreattiv in the coming weeks.