Film Commission says it no longer administers funding of Maltese film productions

The Malta Film Commission has warned against confusing foreign film investment with funding local productions.

“As explained by the Malta Film Commissioner in recent media interviews, the primary aim of the Mediterrane Film Festival is to serve as a strategic marketing tool to attract investment and bolster the commercial film sector in Malta. […] Confusing these two distinct goals either intentionally misleads or inadvertently diverts the conversation away from the necessary discussions,” the commission said in a statement.

The Malta Film Week and the Mediterrane Film Festival remain controversial events in the country’s cultural calendar. Some Maltese producers argue the investment directed towards the events should instead be reinvested in local producers and productions.

But the film commission insists a distinction must be drawn between attracting foreign investment, and investing in local producers.

“Government investments are naturally directed towards areas that stimulate economic growth and develop a robust local ecosystem comprising service providers, professional crews, and aspiring professionals. In this regard, the Mediterrane Film Festival has been a significant success. Last year's festival, and the promising early feedback from this year's edition, underscore our confidence in its role in attracting further investment. The Mediterrane Film Festival primarily showcases Malta’s potential and capabilities in attracting film productions,” the statement read.

It said the commission’s marketing and outreach strategies have proven effective in a very consistent manner. “Last year, Malta achieved a record level of investment in its film history, beating the previous year’s record, generating jobs and tens of millions of euros in direct and indirect benefits.”

“In addition to showcasing Malta, the festival maximises public investment by hosting masterclasses and panels with industry professionals, including influencers who engage with younger audiences on content creation and professionalism and simultaneously promote Malta and the festival through their platforms,” the commission.

On local film productions, the commission said conflating public funds aimed at attracting foreign investment—which consistently yields a return on investment—with the support needed for local productions, whose primary goal is cultural enrichment rather than ROI, is misguided.

“The Malta Film Commission has consistently advocated for increased budgets for these productions when it had such responsibility. However, it is important to point out that today the Commission no longer carries the responsibility relative to local film funding,” it said.

It pointed out that the transfer of the responsibility for local film funding from the Malta Film Commission to the Arts Council Malta “was, and is, a positive development”.

“The Malta Film Commission will still support local film productions through cash rebate incentives, a strong regulatory framework, and upskilling programmes. However, financial support for local productions is now clearly defined as the remit of another ministry, allowing the Film Commission to focus on its primary goal: marketing Malta, attracting foreign film investment, and creating a stronger platform for local crew to build better careers,” it said.

Cash rebate

On the debate on whether the cash rebate offered by Malta is “overly generous”, the commission said it has carried out numerous improvements to the scheme over the years.

“Its primary purpose is to incentivise foreign direct investment (FDI), functioning as an ROI tool for Malta. To support local productions, the Malta Film Commission successfully lobbied for the inclusion of the cash rebate for Maltese productions, creating a level playing field despite the lower ROI impact of local films,” the commission said. “The Government has consistently affirmed its commitment to strengthening and supporting the cash rebate, with no plans to reduce these incentives. The Film Commission is confident that the cash rebate will continue to bring success in the future, as it has in the past and present.”

“The Malta Film Commission recognises these schemes as a foundational pillar which will continue to grow this key economic sector for many more years to come.”