One Television is organising the Malta International TV Song Festival 2007. Composers, authors and singers have to be Maltese while singers need to be at least 16 years of age.

The aim of the festival is to promote local talent. In fact, the songs will be included in foreign CDs which will then be played overseas. The members of the board of the Malta International TV Song Festival 2007 are Norman Hamilton (Chairperson), Robert Cefai (Secretary), Ruth Frendo (PRO), Josette Grech, Pierre Cachia, Simone Bugeja and Ray Azzopardi.

The best 48 songs will be chosen to compete during a special series of television programmes broadcast on One Television every Sunday, starting in October. Out of these, the best 14 songs will take part in the finals which will take place on 7 and 8 December.

The winners will win cash prizes, while the singers who place first, second and third will be sent to participate in international festivals.

The festival will also include the participation of 14 foreign singers.

All local composers who make it to the first phase (that is the 48 songs) will be asked to submit compositions from their repertoire so that they can be sent to foreign singers to be translated into their respective language and given new arrangements.

The regulations can be found on the website www.arts-dm.com. The forms will be available after 14 August and can be picked up from Hamilton Travel in Floriana. The closing date for submissions of songs is 1 September.