Film Commission says that financial support for local productions is not longer under its remit
The Malta Film Commission said that financial support for local productions is now clearly defined as being under the remit of another Ministry.This, it said, will allow the Film Commission to focus on its primary goals of marketing Malta, attracting
The Malta Film Commission said that financial support for local productions is now clearly defined as being under the remit of another Ministry.
This, it said, will allow the Film Commission to focus on its primary goals of marketing Malta, attracting foreign film investment and creating a stronger platform for local crew to build better careers.
In a statement the Commission issued on Thursday, it said that conflating public funds aimed at attracting foreign investment which yields a return on investment, with the support needed for local productions, whose primary goal is cultural enrichment rather than return on investment, is "misguiding."
It is crucial to differentiate between attracting foreign film investment, "which is a core objective of the Mediterrane Film Festival, and funding local productions - which is imperative to nurture local industry, it said. The Commission added that confusing the two "either intentionally misleads, or inadvertently diverts the conversation away from the necessary discussions."
The statement said that while funding for local productions has significantly increased over the past years, and public funds which support these productions are essential for Malta's cultural and artistic landscape, they "often lack the commercial bandwidth for full private financing."
"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," the statement read.
This came after last year's decision to transfer the responsibility for local film funding from the Malta Film Commission to the Arts Council Malta, which was described as a positive development as the entity is better positioned to address the cultural depth of these films, the statement read.
The Commission said it will still support local film productions through cash rebate incentives, a strong regulatory framework, and upskilling programmes, but the financial support is under another Ministry's remit.
"One can argue that when the Malta Film Commission succeeds in spurring economic growth through foreign film investment, it enables the government to procure funds to invest in areas such as financing local film productions, which do not necessarily provide a direct financial return," it said.
On cash rebates, the Commission said that discussions about it have varied over the past months, with some arguing it is overly generous and others claiming it is insufficiently competitive compared to the UK incentives.
"Over the past decade, we have made numerous improvements to the cash rebate programme to keep it competitive, as it has been key element to Malta's success. Its primary purpose is to incentivise foreign direct investment (FDI), functioning as a Return on Investment (ROI) tool for Malta. To support local productions, the 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 statement read.
The Commission said that 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 Commission said it recognises these schemes as a foundational pillar which will continue to grow this key economic sector for many more years to come," the statement read.
On the role of the festival, the Commission said that throughout the week, top studio executives and professionals are given guided tours of Malta to understand the diverse shooting possibilities and other benefits the country offers for film production.
"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," the statement read.
The Commission said these outcomes have been transparently analysed and published by the Malta Film Commission; a procedure which will be followed after this year's festival.
"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," it said.
The Commission said that last year's festival, and the promising early feedback from this year's edition, has increased confidence in its role in attracting further investment.
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