The acclaimed music short film Rita’s Song has been honored with the Grand Prize Music Video award at the prestigious 9th Golden State Film Festival, held February 27 to March 6, 2026, at the iconic TCL Chinese Theaters in Hollywood. This poignant 4-minute music short, which had its Hollywood premiere on March 3rd as an Official Selection at the festival, documents the inspiring story of Rafaela Amrita Crevoshay (Rita) who courageously transitioned from male to female at the age of 76 after a lifetime of concealing her authentic self. Produced by Michael A. Levine (former governor of the Emmys) and director Marcelle Abela, with original music and lyrics composed by Levine himself, the film features soaring vocals by Angelica Innocente, keyboards by Michael Levine, saxophone by Sam Levine, and chorus by the TQ Choir. Notably, raw footage for the music video was innovatively created using Grok Imagine technology, the prompt artist being Abela herself. Rita’s Song began with a profound encounter: the true story of Rafaela Amrita Crevoshay – Rita – who, at the age of 76 years, summoned up the courage to transition from male to female after decades of concealing her authentic self. In their producers’ statement, Levine and Abela said, “Rita’s journey of late-life liberation struck us as both heartbreaking and triumphant – a reminder that the pursuit of truth can arrive at any stage of life and that it is never too late to live fully.”

Acclaimed Maltese-American filmmaker Marcelle Abela is set to have the Hollywood premiere of her poignant, award-winning experimental film Whispers From the Core and the collaborative music short Rita's Song as Official Selections at the prestigious Golden State Film Festival. Both works will screen at the legendary TCL Chinese Theaters on Hollywood Boulevard from February 27 to March 5, 2026. Whispers From the Core is a cinematic elegy that weaves together the haunting legacies of the nuclear catastrophes in Hiroshima, Nagasaki, and Chernobyl. Based on true events, the film explores the survivors' search for redemption amid treachery and loss, blending evocative visuals with a haunting original score. Meanwhile, Rita's Song is an uplifting music short documenting the real-life transition story of Rafaela Amrita Crevoshay (Rita), who embraced her true gender identity at the age of 76 years. Produced by Marcelle Abela in collaboration with composer Michael A. Levine (of Hans Zimmer fame), who wrote the original music and lyrics, Rita's Song features heartfelt performances by Angelica Innocente (vocals), Sam Levine (saxophone), and Michael Levine himself (keyboards), on a deeply personal narrative celebrating courage, authenticity, and transformation.

Marcelle Abela is an award-winning Maltese-American filmmaker, composer, and screenwriter, whose compelling feature and short documentaries have earned multiple accolades at international film festivals. Michael A. Levine is an accomplished composer and former Governor of the Emmy's, whose work spans film, television, and innovative projects. These premieres of Whispers From the Core and Rita's Song at the legendary TCL Chinese Theaters represent a milestone celebration of independent cinema, resilience, and artistic collaboration. Audiences are invited to experience these transformative stories on the big screen. For screening schedules and tickets, visit the Golden State Film Festival website.

Marcelle Abela's poignant experimental short film Whispers From the Core has been named a finalist in the prestigious 68th Rochester International Film Festival (RIFF), taking place April 30 through May 2, 2026, in Rochester, New York. Called "a visually stunning, chilling reminder of something everyone needs to remember and never forget, with a vibrant and haunting musical score" by the festival's jury, Whispers From the Core weaves the devastating legacies of Hiroshima, Nagasaki, and Chernobyl into a tapestry of betrayal, resilience, and whispered warnings from the earth's core. Produced under the Avinu Films banner, the film marks another milestone in Abela's acclaimed body of work that blends music, narrative, and visual poetry. "We are thrilled and deeply honored by this recognition from RIFF," said Abela. "This film is a call to listen to the whispers of our wounded world — may it resonate with all who watch it and inspire action." The Rochester International Film Festival, one of the oldest continually running film festivals in the United States, celebrates global cinema with a focus on innovative storytelling. Finalists compete for top honors, with screenings and the awards ceremony being held at the George Eastman Museum's famed Dryden Theater. ​​

Marcelle Abela's experimental short film Whispers from the Core - The Silence We Cannot Speak will receive its American premiere as an official selection in the 2025 Culver City Film Festival lineup. The screening is set for early December at the legendary Kirk Douglas Theater — once known as the historic Culver Theater — a cultural cornerstone in Culver City that has captivated audiences since its 1924 debut as one of America's earliest movie palaces. Renamed in 2005 to honor the indelible legacy of screen icon Kirk Douglas, this gem of a cinema theater stands as a beacon of innovative storytelling, having hosted countless world premieres and transformative productions that have shaped American theater and cinema. This poetic odyssey into the depths of the unspoken scars of atomic history follows the film's world premiere at the Amadeus Cinema in Jõhvi, Estonia, on October 3, 2025.

In a world still grappling with the echoes of unimaginable tragedy, Maltese-American filmmaker Marcelle Abela invites audiences to confront the unspoken scars of history with the world premiere of her latest narrative film Whispers From the Core. This experimental 9-minute drama makes its global debut on Friday, October 3, 2025, at the Amadeus Cinema in Estonia as an Official Selection in the 3rd Anti-War International Film Festival. Directed, written, and composed by Abela, the film weaves a generational ritual of seeking and redemption amid the haunting shadows of Hiroshima, Nagasaki, and Chernobyl. Based on true events, Whispers From the Core serves as a cinematic elegy, binding the poignant legacies of these nuclear cataclysms into a tapestry of betrayal, survival, and silenced cries for justice and peace in a world ravaged by war.