According to timesofmalta.com, the film is now shown on 32 screens across France. American sales agent Gravitas Ventures, which picked up the film, released it on all major VOD operators in North America on 3 November 2015, before rolling out worldwide. The film had already been sold in Tunisia and Australia.

Simshar is inspired by the tragedy that took place in the Mediterranean Sea in 2008, when a Maltese fishing boat blew up and all but one of its crew died, because another fishing trawler mistook them for African immigrants and refused to rescue them.

The film was produced by Kukumajsa Productions Ltd and it was supported by the Malta Film Fund, by the financial incentives offered by the Malta Film Commission with various local companies and also by the Maltese community contributing through indiegogo.com. The French release is supported by Arts Council Malta’s export fund.