MIFF Director Hisham Abdel Khalek has signed an agreement for sponsorship with Ron van Maarschalkerweerd, representative and founder of the Maltese fashion label Charles & Ron.

The designers will provide women’s clothing to the crew members, guests and celebrities for the whole duration of the Malta International Film Festival.

Charles and Ron started working together in 1992, when Ron left his native Holland and moved to Malta. They have established themselves as Malta's leading fashion house, specializing in evening and wedding couture.

Over the past few years they participated in many fashion events in Naples, Milan, Rome, Ragusa, Amsterdam and most recently in Greece.

Their bi-annual fashion show has become one of Malta's most anticipated fashion events. For their work in Malta and abroad, they have received three awards at the Malta National Fashion Awards.

Several international magazines and TV stations featured the designers and their work, but being invited to show their collection in Rome on the Rai TV program 'Casa Rai Uno' was definitely one of the highlights of their career so far.

C & R have designed costumes for various theatre productions, and also for the spectacular opening ceremony of the Commonwealth heads of government meeting, that was held in Malta last year.

In July 2006 they participated together with Italy’s top designer houses in a fashion show for the Italian TV station TV MODA. They have launched their second bridal collection in Milan and they just came back from a successful participation in L’Oreal fashion Week, Toronto.