Mario is a television producer, technical director, and aviation-focused entrepreneur working at the intersection of broadcasting, unmanned systems, and manned aviation. For more than 15 years, he has served as Producer and Technical Director of sports television programmes on national TV. Throughout their uninterrupted broadcast history, he has overseen editorial continuity, live technical execution, and operational reliability, ensuring each programme evolves with its audience while maintaining public service broadcasting standards. Alongside television, he is the Co-Founder of Aerial Malta, one of Malta’s earliest professional drone operators, delivering aerial cinematography for major Hollywood feature films, high-end advertising, and television productions. His work specialises in combining creative storytelling with disciplined, safety-driven aerial operations, placing him at the forefront of complex filming environments, regulatory compliance, and advanced camera and flight systems. Building on this foundation, he co-founded Ataria, a company focused on next-generation drone operations, including drone-in-a-box systems, emergency response support, and aviation-aligned unmanned solutions. Ataria is structured around modern regulatory frameworks and operational resilience, with a clear focus on scalability, cybersecurity, and future airspace integration. To deepen this convergence, he is currently undertaking manned aviation studies toward his Private Pilot Licence. This training is strengthening his understanding of air law, human performance, flight planning, and safety culture — knowledge that he actively applies to unmanned aviation operations. He is particularly interested in how manned and unmanned aviation can safely coexist, share airspace, and adopt common operational principles. His focus is on building reliable, compliant, and future-ready systems — whether for broadcast production, aerial imaging, or aviation-enabled services — where technical excellence and operational discipline are non-negotiable.
NextFilm 2026