The world premiere for Caravaggio – The Movie, a biographical movie production, will be held in Malta on Friday.

Renaissance Productions Ltd have bought the rights to secure the screening of this film in Malta, which has been produced by Rai Fiction and co-produced with Titania Produzioni (Italy), the Institut del Cinema Català (Spain), EOS Entertainment (Germany) and GMT Productions (France).

The film will be released in various cinemas around the world in 2008. Rai Fiction has also produced a television mini-series version of the movie, consisting of two episodes of 100 minutes each. The TV series will eventually be screened on RAI UNO.

Well-known Italian actor Alessio Boni is the protagonist in Caravaggio – The Movie. Boni has recently appeared in the main role in Tolstoy’s War and Peace which has just premiered in Italy, and in the much acclaimed Wuthering Heights, both produced by Rai Fiction. Apart from Alessio Boni, who interprets Michelangelo Merisi, the cast features over 90 Italian, French, Spanish and German actors with the participation of the very popular Italian actress Elena Sofia Ricci as the Marchesa Costanza Colonna.

Caravaggio – The Movie is an $8 million biographical narration of the tormented life of the famous artist and man, Michelangelo. Michele Merisi was born into a humble family in the town of Caravaggio (from which the future artist would derive his professional moniker). Cursed with a violent temper, Michele becomes as well known for his brawling as for his art, frequenting the seamier side of Rome and using its prostitutes and thieves as models, even for his religious paintings. Eventually, his art earns him a fervent group of admirers, while his personal life establishes an equally dedicated battery of enemies.

The 130-minute movie will be premiered at the Eden Century Complex on Friday at 8.30pm. Tickets are being sold from the Eden Century at Lm5 each.