Ivan De Battista (born 13 September 1977) is a Maltese actor, director, author, and poet/lyricist. Early life and education Ivan De Battista was born in Gżira, Malta to Martin and Irene De Battista, the oldest of three brothers. His acting studies included an ATCL Performing and Performer's Certificate in Acting at Trinity College, London, and an intensive Pinnacle Film Acting Course, Curtain Raiser Theatre Group and Bronk Productions Acting Course. He was awarded a Masters in Marketing by the University of Wales in 2015. He is a member of the Chartered Institute of Marketing, and has a diploma in Management from the University of Leicester. Career De Battista appeared on local television in Simpatici (2001), Il-Madonna taċ-Ċoqqa (2002), Mad-daqqa Niżfnu (2004), Id-Driegħ t 'Alla (2005), Santa Monika (2006), Pupi (2007), and Il-Kristu tal-Kerrejja (2008). He also worked in Carabinieri 1, broadcast on Mediaset Italy. After performing the title role in Il-Kristu tal-Kerrejja, he directed the NET Television drama Is-Siġill tal-Qrar, as well as contributing to the editing and writing the lyrics for the end credits. He edited several television documentaries, including Katakombi. He had a main role in the four seasons of the television serial F'Salib it-Toroq. He directed four short movies, L-Ittra (The Letter) (2002), for which he also wrote the original score; Dilemma (2003), which won Certificate of Merit – MACC 2003 and 2004; Is-Siġġu ta-Roti (The Wheelchair) (2004); and Self Flattery (2005), which both won third place in Best Production at the National MACC Awards Film Festival. He directed Season One of the teleseries It-Tfal and the television thriller series, Prima Facie, both for 26th Frame Productions. He also directed the cultural programme Snajja' Maltin, in Seasons One and Two, and the educational programme, Karriera. He directed the first season and directed and produced the second season of the daily soap opera Tereża. He has also directed more than 30 dramatic theatre pieces, in Maltese and in English. De Battista took part in the Malta Independence Song Festival 2008, singing "Tond jibqa' Tond", and placed third in the Festival in 2009 as both a composer and lyricist of a song sung by newcoming twins Lara and Marie-Elena – "Tar iz-Zmien". He took part in a trio group in IndiFest (2012) with the song "Mhux l-ewwel darba". In June 2012, De Battista and his wife Simone were selected, along with nine other teams from Europe, to represent Malta