Six Maltese production companies took part in the initiative led by internationally recognised Audience Design consultant Síle Culley
Arts Council Malta has continued to expand professional development opportunities for Malta’s domestic film sector with a series of intensive Audience Design workshops led by internationally recognised consultant Síle Culley.
The workshops, which were organised by the Domestic Film Development and Strategy Unit, brought together six Maltese production companies,with projects in an advanced state of development.. The sessions took place in Valletta this October and offered the participating producer and director teams the opportunity to examine their projects from the perspective of the audiences they are ultimately seeking to reach.
Sile Culley works with independent producers and established production companies across Europe, Australia and Latin America. Her work has contributed to international festival premieres, world sales agreements, theatrical releases and successful funding applications to bodies including Eurimages and Creative Europe. She is also Director of The Audience Design Lab at the International Screen Institute in Vienna, an industry expert for Eurimages and Screen Ireland and a member of the European Film Academy.
Luke Dalli, Executive Chair at Arts Council Malta said “Audience Design is another important step in strengthening the skills and international readiness of Malta’s film sector. By giving local filmmakers access to specialised expertise and new ways of thinking about their projects, we are helping them build stronger foundations for the opportunities ahead.”
Audience Design looks beyond conventional demographic categories to explore what connects audiences to a particular story, and how this understanding can inform a project from development through to production, positioning and eventual distribution. Participants worked in small groups, exploring areas such as the strengths and challenges of their projects, their unique positioning, central themes and emotions, potential audience clusters, personas and audience touchpoints. The process was designed to help filmmakers articulate more clearly what makes their project distinctive, with whom it’s likely to resonate and how that understanding can strengthen both creative and strategic decision-making.
The workshops were preceded by an online masterclass, An Introduction to Audience Design, also delivered by Culley. The session was open to all professionals within the sector, and served to introduce the methodology to the wider film community. Topics included looking at how audience thinking can support feature-film projects across the value chain, including when engaging with public funders and potential audiences. Participants were also introduced to practical approaches that could be applied directly to projects in development.
Head of the Domestic Film Development and Strategy Unit at Arts Council Malta, Lyona Xuereb Gatt said the Audience Design programme forms part of a deliberate effort to respond to different stages and needs within the local industry.
“There is no single intervention that can give filmmakers everything they need to move a project forward. What we are trying to build is a more connected professional development pathway where producers and filmmakers can access the right expertise at the right stage. Through Audience Design, production teams will be able to step outside the immediate process of making the film and really question who they are making it for and why those audiences might connect with it. The goal is for this understanding to strengthen such projects.”
The Audience Design workshops follow a number of initiatives delivered by Arts Council Malta for domestic producers and filmmakers during 2026. Other initiatives this year have included Unlocking Opportunities with Eurimages, the Co-Production Roadmap Masterclass and Malta’s first stand at the European Film Market in Berlinal and Malta’s first pavilion at the Cannes Film Festival. These have supported producers with practical guidance on co-production, financing and international collaboration, while creating stronger links with the wider film industry. Further opportunities for Maltese filmmakers and producers will continue to be announced.
For more information visit https://artscouncilmalta.gov.mt.
