Fast and Furious 6 most popular film in Malta last year

According to an NSO survey, in 2013, the most popular movies were Fast and Furious 6 followed by The Smurfs 2, registering 27,277 and 25,215 admissions respectively.

The third most popular film was Frozen with 20,007 admissions. The largest share were fiction films which attracted just over 75% of total audiences. Films pertaining to the animation genre registered the highest average admissions per film, with 4,173 admissions.

The survey, carried out among the eight cinema establishments in Malta and Gozo, revealed that in 2013 these had 38 screens and a total seating capacity of 7,107.

More than two-thirds of the screens, 68.4%, were still equipped with the traditional analog film format. On the other hand, 7.9% were equipped to project digital 3D films only, whereas 21.1% were equipped to project more than one type of format, varying from digital non-3D to digital 3D. Furthermore, 26 screens in seven cinema establishments were accessible to persons with disabilities.

In 2013, cinemas registered a total of 702,239 admissions. The largest share of admissions, 87.5%, was registered for films with the United States as their country of origin. Total admissions for 3D movies accounted for 25.3% of the total, while 40.8% were for digital non-3D films. Films originating from Malta registered 3.6% of total admissions. On average, Maltese films enjoyed the highest number of admissions per film.

The total number of film titles exhibited in 2013 was 373. More than half, 54.2 per cent, were produced in the United States while five films were produced locally. Total screenings amounted to 56,816, with an average 152.3 screenings per film. A total of 922 film shows were projected in 2013, of which 61.8 per cent were first-time releases.

In 2013, the highest number of staff members employed by cinemas was in the first quarter, at 113. Most members worked on a part-time basis.