Mario Philip Azzopardi

Last updated

Mario Philip Azzopardi (born 19 November 1950) is a Canadian-Maltese television and film director and writer.

Contents

Early life and emigration

Azzopardi was born in Siggiewi, Malta, and was educated at St Aloysius' College (Birkirkara, Malta), and the Royal University of Malta.

In 1971, while still a student at the university, he directed Il-Gaġġa, based on Frans Sammut's novel Il-Gaġġa, presumed to be the first full-length feature filmed entirely in Maltese. [1] Transferred to digital format and enhanced, the film was re-released in Malta in March 2007. [2] Around the same time he assisted Cecil Satariano during the making of "Giuseppi."

He left his native country for Canada in 1978, following a dispute with local censors and theatre authorities who, in 1977, had cancelled his play, Sulari Fuq Strada Stretta, on the grounds that it was too offensive[ citation needed ]; the play was eventually presented at the Manoel Theatre in January 2008.

He has worked on such shows as The Outer Limits , Stargate SG-1 (including its two-hour pilot), and Stargate Atlantis . In 2008 he directed all eight episodes of the HBO Canada/TMN miniseries ZOS: Zone of Separation , which he co-created and produced.

Return to Malta

In 2013 Azzopardi returned to his native country, Malta and established the theatrical company Stagun Teatru Malti. The company has produced a wide array of original work in Maltese, including In-Nisa Maltin Jafu Kif; Jiena Nhobb, Inti Thobb; Il-Kappillan Ta Malta (based on the book by Nicholas Monsarrat) and Sibna z-Zejt; among others. Azzopardi was also appointed as Artistic Director of Valletta 2018. He also has produced and directed a number of films, such as Dangerous Arrangement; A Red Dress; and Saul: A Journey To Damascus.

Personal life

Azzopardi is married to Therese and has three children; Lara, Kyra and Yari.

Controversy

Azzopardi courted controversy following comments made on his Facebook page in August 2014, agreeing with the 2001 decision taken by the European Court of Human Rights which had found that Sharia law was incompatible with democracy and basic human rights. [3]

The V18 foundation issued a press release in which Mr Azzopardi was quoted as having apologized for the possible offence he could have caused by his personal views, expressed on 28 November, more than a year prior to his appointment as Artistic Director, after journalists from The Times of Malta publicised those views while interviewing Owen Bonnici, the Minister of Culture, the previous day. [4]

Partial filmography

Related Research Articles

Stargate SG-1 is a military science fiction adventure television series within Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's Stargate franchise. The show, created by Brad Wright and Jonathan Glassner, is based on the 1994 science fiction film Stargate by Dean Devlin and Roland Emmerich. The television series was filmed in and around the city of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The series premiered on Showtime on July 27, 1997, and moved to the Sci Fi Channel on June 7, 2002; the final episode first aired on Sky1 on March 13, 2007.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jack O'Neill</span> Fictional character from the Stargate universe

Jonathan J. "Jack" O'Neill is a fictional character in the MGM's military science fiction franchise Stargate, primarily as one of the main characters of the television series Stargate SG-1. Richard Dean Anderson played O'Neill in all the Stargate media since 1997, when he took over the role from actor Kurt Russell, who portrayed the character in the original Stargate film in 1994. O'Neill and Daniel Jackson are the only two characters to appear in both the original film and all three live-action Stargate television series.

Stargate Atlantis is an adventure and military science fiction television series and part of MGM's Stargate franchise. The show was created by Brad Wright and Robert C. Cooper as a spin-off series of Stargate SG-1, which was created by Wright and Jonathan Glassner and was itself based on the feature film Stargate (1994). All five seasons of Stargate Atlantis were broadcast by the Sci-Fi Channel in the United States and The Movie Network in Canada. The show premiered on July 16, 2004; its final episode aired on January 9, 2009. The series was filmed in and around Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

Daniel Jackson (<i>Stargate</i>) Fictional character from the Stargate universe

Daniel Jackson, PhD, is a fictional character in the military science fiction franchise Stargate, and one of the main characters of the 1997 series Stargate SG-1. He is portrayed by James Spader in the 1994 film Stargate, and by Michael Shanks in Stargate SG-1 and other SG-1 derived media. Jackson is the only Stargate character to appear in all films and series in the franchise.

George Hammond (<i>Stargate</i>) Fictional character in Stargate

Lieutenant General George S. Hammond, USAF (Ret.) is a fictional character in the Stargate franchise. Played by American actor Don S. Davis, General Hammond serves as the commander of Stargate Command (SGC) in the first seven seasons of the 1997 television series Stargate SG-1. He is relieved of command in the series' season 7 finale "Lost City", but becomes head of the new Homeworld Security department at the beginning of season 8. Hammond's off-screen retirement is confirmed in SG-1's season 10, and the character's death is mentioned in the series finale of SG-1's spin-off series Stargate Atlantis, "Enemy at the Gate".

Stargate is a military science fiction media franchise based on the film directed by Roland Emmerich, which he co-wrote with producer Dean Devlin. The franchise is based on the idea of an alien wormhole device that enables nearly instantaneous travel across the cosmos. The franchise began with the film Stargate, released on October 28, 1994, by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and Carolco, which grossed US$197 million worldwide. In 1997, Brad Wright and Jonathan Glassner created a television series titled Stargate SG-1 as a sequel to the film. This show was joined by Stargate Atlantis in 2004, Stargate Universe in 2009, and a prequel web series, Stargate Origins, in 2018. Also consistent with the same story are a variety of books, video games and comic books, as well as the direct-to-DVD movies Stargate: Children of the Gods, Stargate: The Ark of Truth, and Stargate: Continuum, which concluded the first television show after 10 seasons.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Children of the Gods</span> 1st and 2nd episodes of the 1st season of Stargate SG-1

"Children of the Gods" is the first episode of the military science fiction television series Stargate SG-1. It was written by producers Jonathan Glassner and Brad Wright and was directed by Mario Azzopardi. The episode first aired on July 27, 1997, on Showtime. Originally presented as a television movie, the episode would later be split into two parts for repeats and syndicated viewings. A new, updated cut, which is entitled "Children of the Gods – The Final Cut" was released on DVD on July 21, 2009 by MGM Home Entertainment.

Elizabeth Weir (<i>Stargate</i>) Character from the television series Stargate Atlantis

Dr. Elizabeth Weir is a fictional character in the Canadian-American Sci-Fi Channel television series Stargate Atlantis, a military science fiction show about a military team exploring another galaxy via a network of alien transportation devices. Elizabeth Weir is introduced as a recurring character in the Stargate SG-1 season seven two-parter, Lost City. She does not hold any military rank since she is a civilian. Weir is the leader of the Atlantis expedition in Stargate Atlantis until the last episode of season three, titled "First Strike".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carson Beckett</span> Fictional character in the TV series Stargate Atlantis

Dr. Carson Beckett is a fictional Scottish character in the 2004 Canadian-American science fiction television series Stargate Atlantis, a spin-off series of Stargate SG-1. He is portrayed by Scottish-born Canadian actor Paul McGillion, who previously played Dr. Ernest Littlefield in the first season of SG-1. The character's Scottish nationality was only decided after McGillion's audition.

Dr. Radek Zelenka is a fictional character of a scientist in the 2004 television series Stargate Atlantis, portrayed by David Nykl. He is a member of the original expedition from Earth to the Ancient city of Atlantis in the Pegasus galaxy, which he joined after turning down a job at Masaryk University in his home country Czech Republic. His expertise on Ancient technology is only surpassed by Dr. Rodney McKay, with whom he shares a friendly rivalry. Zelenka's planned one-time appearance in the season 1 episode "Thirty-Eight Minutes" was followed by a recurring role for expository scenes with McKay and the leader of the expedition. Zelenka has since appeared in approximately half of each season's episodes and also appeared in the crossover episode "The Pegasus Project" of Stargate SG-1. The series finale of Atlantis, "Enemy at the Gate", marks his last appearance. For his portrayal of Radek Zelenka, David Nykl was nominated for a 2005 Leo Award in the category "Dramatic Series: Best Supporting Performance by a Male".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peter DeLuise</span> American actor/director/producer (born 1966)

Peter John DeLuise is an American actor, television director, television producer, and screenwriter. He is known for his role as Officer Doug Penhall in the Fox TV series 21 Jump Street, and for directing and writing episodes of science fiction television shows, particularly in the Stargate franchise. He is the son of actors Dom DeLuise and Carol Arthur.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Richard Woolsey</span> Fictional character in the Stargate television franchise

Richard P. Woolsey is a fictional character in the Stargate television franchise about military teams exploring the Milky Way and Pegasus galaxies via a network of alien transportation devices. Played by actor Robert Picardo, Woolsey made his first appearance as a member of the NID in "Heroes Part 2", an episode of season 7 of Stargate SG-1, and recurred in several SG-1 episodes until season 10. He was also a recurring character in seasons 3 and 4 of Stargate Atlantis before becoming a main character in season 5 of Atlantis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brad Wright</span> Canadian TV producer

Brad Wright is a Canadian television producer and screenwriter. He is best known as the co-creator of the television series Stargate SG-1, Stargate Atlantis and Stargate Universe and as the creator of Travelers.

Andy Mikita is a Canadian television director and producer. He has worked in the TV and film industry for over 30 years. Mikita is best known for his work as a director and producer for Stargate SG-1 and its sister shows Stargate Atlantis and Stargate Universe.

Brad Turner is a Canadian film director, television director and photographer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frans Sammut</span> Maltese author (1945–2011)

Frans Sammut was a Maltese novelist and non-fiction writer.

<i>Stargate SG-1</i> (season 1) Season of television series

The first season of the military science fiction television series Stargate SG-1 commenced airing on the Showtime channel in the United States on July 27, 1997, concluded on the Sci Fi channel on March 6, 1998, and contained 22 episodes. The show itself is a spin-off from the 1994 hit movie Stargate written by Dean Devlin and Roland Emmerich. Stargate SG-1 re-introduced supporting characters from the film universe, such as Jonathan "Jack" O'Neill and Daniel Jackson and included new characters such as Teal'c, George Hammond and Samantha "Sam" Carter. The first season was about a military-science expedition team discovering how to use the ancient device, named the Stargate, to explore the galaxy. However, they encountered a powerful enemy in the film named the Goa'uld, who are bent on destroying Earth and all who oppose them.

<i>Stargate Atlantis</i> (season 1) Season of television series

The first season of the television series Stargate Atlantis commenced airing on the Sci Fi Channel in the United States on July 16, 2004, concluded on The Movie Network in Canada on January 31, 2005, and contained 20 episodes. The show was a spin off of sister show, Stargate SG-1. Stargate Atlantis re-introduced supporting characters from the SG-1 universe, such as Elizabeth Weir and Rodney McKay among others. The show also included new characters such as Teyla Emmagan and John Sheppard. The first season is about a military-science expedition team discovering Atlantis and exploring the Pegasus Galaxy. However, there is no way to return home, and they inadvertently wake a hostile alien race known as the Wraith, whose primary goal is to gather a fleet to invade Atlantis and find their new "feeding ground", Earth.

<i>Saul: The Journey to Damascus</i> 2014 film directed by Mario Azzopardi

Saul: The Journey to Damascus is a 2014 biblical drama film about Saul of Tarsus, directed by Mario Azzopardi, starring Kyle Schmid as the title character. It also stars Emmanuelle Vaugier and John Rhys-Davies. The film was released direct-to-video in Canada in April 2014.

References

  1. ↑ "Portrait of the artist". Archived from the original on 2011-07-22.
  2. ↑ "'Gagga' to be screened again". Archived from the original on 2012-02-06.
  3. ↑ Arnold, Roberta; Quénivet, Noëlle (2008). International humanitarian law and human rights law : towards a new merger in international law. Leiden: Martinus Nijhoff Publishers. p. 149. ISBN   9789004163171 . Retrieved 27 March 2015.
  4. ↑ Times of Malta, V18 director apologises for rant on Islam, accessed on 28/11/14
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.