7 - 13 December 2000

The Grease-Paint Brigade

Winston Azzopardi, Malta Film Commissioner, explains to Blanche Gatt that shrewd investment to attract film producers to Malta could result in a permanent face-lift for Malta’s tiny film industry

Movie magic casts its thrall over millions, and here in Malta we are not by any means immune to it. Hollywood fever, even at a distance of almost seven thousand miles, sets pulses throbbing and brows perspiring. Big bucks and larger-than-life heroes – is this what Malta’s film industry can lay claim to? And is this what we are looking for?
“Not exactly,’ explained Malta’s Film Commissioner, Winston Azzopardi. “Though we’ve had a fledgling film location industry here since the late 1950s, we are far from being able to boast of our own film industry. We do manage to attract a fair amount of productions to Malta, but the huge-budget films are not that numerous, and going after smaller budget films could bring a steadier stream of work to the island.
Then again, producers and directors from overseas may choose Malta as the right spot, due to price, facilities or climate, to shoot their film, but only rarely do they depict the island as itself, and even rarer are the productions of locally written, produced and released products.’
“In October 1999,” continued Mr Azzopardi, “parliamentary secretary George Hyzler decided to set up a Film Commission Office in order to market Malta as a film location centre and also to act as a facilitator while the actual production was here shooting, as well as to look beyond that to explore the possibility of setting up a true film industry.”
In fact, next week a conference is being organised to introduce the EU programme Eureka, which is the audiovisual arm of the EU for the Mediterranean region and which will explain the workings of the programme as well as the EU’s policy on the subject. The conference is being held at the Westin Dragonara on the14 and 15 December and will include talks by various representatives of the EU Commission Media Programme, the Council of Europe, Eurimages, and others.
“From the beginning,” said Mr Azzopardi, “the main aim of setting up the Film Commission was to market Malta abroad, which we do by attending festivals and having stands at festivals. This year for example, we had a stand at the LA festival ‘Locations 2000’ at which there were over 200 stands representing film commissions from all the world. We always find a great interest in Malta, which, apart from other attractions, has made quite a name with film-makers all over the world because of our water tanks.”
In fact, our main attraction as a film location is without doubt the two water tanks at Malta Film Services (MFS), that were built in 1964. These outstanding pieces of equipment have consistently done their bit in drawing movie makers, commercial producers and documentary directors to the island, but recent news that the larger of the tanks may be turned into a fish farm has alarmed people like Mr Azzopardi. “It is a ridiculous notion,” he replied, “80 per cent of film work comes from the water facilities, and these MFS tanks are the only water facilities available on the island. They have been here so long that many film producers get in touch with them before they reach us.
“So our film industry cannot afford to do without the tanks. The MFS needed a heavy investment it is true, but if the money that was spent on the Rinella Movie Park was instead spent on a proper sound stage and some equipment, this would have made Malta a more attractive place for film makers to come to, and would therefore have enhanced the business of MFS itself.”
In fact, film makers who come over to use Malta do not only use the tanks while they are here. Various films have used multiple locations on the island, and Mr Azzopardi tells me that the Count of Monte Cristo for example used Comino, Mdina, Valletta, Birgu and Bighi as well as much of the surrounding countryside during their five weeks of shooting here. “We have so much crammed into such a little space that it makes it attractive for film-makers, especially of period films,” added Mr Azzopardi.
The Film Commission gets involved in more ways than simply marketing the island. They also play a large role in facilitating bureaucratic matters for crews once they get here. “We look after all necessary permits and fees for the outfit,” said Mr Azzopardi, “and unfortunately we have noticed that the Maltese public clearly does not understand the benefit of embracing the film industry – they just want to rip them off. And this includes government, who I am afraid is not fully aware of the potential money this industry could generate.
“For example customs charges and location fees running into thousands of pounds – local councils demanding money in exchange for permission to film in the locality – which is actually illegal, but still some of them have been demanding thousands of pounds. And these turn up as hidden costs not budgeted for in the film, so that naturally really irritates the producers.”
Winston Azzopardi believes that these high costs could be jeopardising Malta’s potential to become a centre for lower-budget film-making. This is a distinct disadvantage, he says, because there are many more low budget films made than mega-budget ones like Gladiators and Count of Monte Cristo, and attracting the lower category of film to our shores could ensure a steady stream of film work, resulting in full-time employment opportunities in the industry.
With this in mind, the Film Commission has drawn up a proposal to government for the introduction of tax incentives for the film industry. “Tax incentives could really boost the industry,” explained Winston Azzopardi, “and is something that a number of countries, including Ireland and Canada have introduced in order to win this business. One of the measures we propose is a 10 per cent tax rebate on the money film-makers spend here; this would mean that if a film company spends one million dollars here, on the day they leave the island government would hand over to them a rebate, in the form of a cheque, for the amount of 100,000 dollars – so the producer knows that when he spends a million here, he’s going to get 10 per cent of it back straightaway.
“The Ministry of Economic
Services is in favour of this, now we are waiting for approval from the Ministry of Finance. This I hope we will get before February, because that is when the festivals start again and if we have nothing new to offer, it will not be very useful. Another possible measure is offering a full VAT refund, which is offered, for example, in both England and Ireland.”
The film industry has generated around US$10m for Malta this year, added Mr Azzopardi, half of which came from the Count of Monte Cristo alone, who spent a million dollars
a week during their five weeks of filming.
“As film commissioner,” concluded Mr Azzopardi, “my vision for the future is to make Malta as attractive as possible, through tax incentives and governmental and public cooperation, as well as through the eventual setting up of a film fund. This last would mean that producers could apply for part financing of their films from government, and offer equity in exchange.
“This would also give the local film industry a chance to develop – through the making of documentaries for example, which would be an excellent way to begin. Of course if we join the EU there are certain programmes like Media+ and Euromage that Malta as a member of the EU would then have access to and would benefit from by means of grants and loans. This too will give a great boost to the potential of our film industry, which would then perhaps truly begin to flourish.”