Tourism Minister has no breakdown yet of short film expenses featuring Film Commissioner

No figures were presented in parliament by Tourism Minister Clayton Bartolo on the Malta Film Commission’s spend on a short film featuring commissioner Johann Grech.

The film, Once Upon A Time in Malta, was premiered during the Malta Golden Bee Awards, and featured British actor David Walliams. The 10-minute film employed around 130 crew members and was led by a foreign director, according to sources.

The film was has not been released publicly.  

It caused uproar within the local film sector, with artists and film makers slamming the commission’s spending, stating it should have been used to fund the Maltese film scene.

In reply to a parliamentary question by Opposition MP Eve Borg Bonello, Bartolo said information on the short film’s budget, whether it was produced by a Maltese company, and whether there was an open call will be answered in another parliamentary sitting.

Borg Bonello also asked the tourism minister whether the film commissioner was paid for his role in the film, to which he replied he did not.

Questions on whether a foreigner director was engaged for the production, how many Maltese or foreign crews were employed, whether the film will be released to the public, were left unanswered.