VALLETTA: Maltese director/writer/producer Joshua Cassar Gaspar is preparing his sophomore feature Nativity, which will be shot in Malta and in the United States (Los Angeles) in 2027.
Nativity is an original character-driven crime thriller following Francis Battista, a washed-up boxer turned low-level criminal desperate to regain custody of his daughter. When Caravaggio’s long-lost masterpiece, The Nativity, resurfaces within the criminal underworld, he accepts one final job in the hope of rebuilding his life. Instead, he is drawn into a dangerous world of organised crime, deception and an international investigation that forces him to confront the choices that destroyed his family. Inspired by one of history’s greatest unsolved art thefts, Nativity explores identity, guilt and the possibility of redemption through emotionally driven storytelling.
“Nativity grew out of two lifelong fascinations: Caravaggio and the kinds of emotionally driven stories. While the film is inspired by one of history’s greatest unsolved art thefts, it’s ultimately about a man searching for redemption and trying to reclaim his life. Those are the stories I have always been drawn to, and as a filmmaker I am interested in creating original films that combine emotional truth with timeless cinematic storytelling for audiences around the world,” director Joshua Cassar Gaspar told FNE.
Joshua Cassar Gaspar, Alon Michael Hattingh, and Aaron Barnett are producing the film through the Maltese companies Valletta Pictures and Jericho Dominion Films. The project has been supported by Arts Council Malta. Other financial partners and the total budget have not yet been publicly disclosed at this stage.
The film is scheduled to shoot from March to April 2027 in Malta and the United States (Los Angeles).
The producers aim for a Venice International Film Festival premiere, and are currently seeking sales agents and distributors.
Joshua Cassar Gaspar is a European film director, writer and producer, whose work spans feature films, commercial directing and international productions. He began his career directing commercial work, and collaborating with international talent including Kimi Räikkönen and Lionel Messi. He made his feature directorial debut with The Theft of the Caravaggio (produced by Valletta Pictures), which premiered at the Mediterrane Film Festival in 2025.
Production Information:
Producers:
Valletta Pictures (Malta)
Jericho Dominion Films (Malta)
Joshua Cassar Gaspar: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Publicity: Matthew Celestial: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Credits:
Director: Joshua Cassar Gaspar
Scriptwriter: Joshua Cassar Gaspar
DoP: Daniel Cawthorne
Composer: Elton Zarb
Editor: TBA
Cast: TBA
