3 - 9 May 2001

Malta – a hub for film-makers?

by David Kelleher

Malta still has a long way to go before it can become a fully-fledged film industry on the same level as that in Ireland which, over the past few years, has seen a boom in its film industry.
However, efforts to turn Malta into an attractive film location have begun in earnest although the industry is still in its infancy.
This is the situation as explained by Malta’s film commissioner Winston Azzopardi, who was speaking last week at a business breakfast organised by Le Meridien Phoenicia and The Malta Business Weekly. The well-attended event brought together over 60 people in the local theatre, TV and film production sectors.
Mr Azzopardi began by introducing the Commission and its role. “The film Commission”, he said, “is not a government agency nor an authority and it still needs a proper legislation for it to have the right legal dimensions. It is a small outfit and consists of two full-time employees, a consultant and a Lm75,000 budget, he added.”
“The aim of the Commission is to promote Malta as a film location. This we are trying to do by promoting availability, through establishing contacts with the producers and by liaising with other film commissions abroad,” Mr Azzopardi said.
The Commission handles inquiries from abroad and deals with questions regarding what type of tax or other incentives Malta has to offer. After making the initial contact, he added, it then liaises with other government departments to enable film-making to proceed smoothly.
“In short, its aim is to become a one-stop-shop.”
Mr Azzopardi said the Commission intends to issue a Code of Practice. Since this never existed, it was possible to shoot a film anywhere in Malta without asking for a permit. Rather than being a list of regulations, the Code of Practice will serve as a guideline to producers, he said.
One cannot forget the financial considerations, either. Film producers want a location where it pays them to be.
“To attract them to Malta, there must be tax incentives and assistance. When film producers seek locations, they need quick responses. Otherwise, they look elsewhere, especially at our competitors, such as Tunisia, Morocco and Spain (Majorca). To attract more films to Malta, we must overcome the wide-held perception that the Maltese overcharge in most sectors: some people have given Malta a very bad reputation.”
Mr Azzopardi said another role of the Commission is to attend the various film markets and festivals and to build as many contacts as possible. Over the past year or so, the Commission has attended the locations fair in Los Angeles, the film market in Santa Monica and a trade fair in London. Later this month it will be going to the Cannes festival.
Mr Azzopardi said the MFC is also targeting Canada and Italy as likely sources of more films for Malta.
The Commission, he added, has published brochures and a production guide. Good use is being made of the internet, he said, and the Commission’s website has had 52,000 hits since it was set up in 2000. In fact, he added, 80 per cent of the enquiries are made via email.
The outlook for this year is not as good as last year. Mr Azzopardi said Malta provided the location for 20 productions last year – 130 shooting days, the employment of 1,000 persons and some 9,000 bed-nights. The sector contributed $8 million to the economy.
This year’s schedule is expected to be hit by the upcoming actors’ strike in the US which has put most productions on hold. A number of TV films, three commercials and a documentary were shot in Malta.
Providing adequate facilities was also important. Mr Azzopardi said that Malta does not have a sound stage and this would take up an area of between 3,000 and 5,000 square metres.
“Another big gap in Malta’s offer is that films shot in Malta have to be developed abroad, usually in Italy. These gaps make film producers wonder why should they move to Malta when they would have to shoot the interiors at some other location,” Mr Azzopardi said.
Turning to incentives to help the industry, Mr Azzopardi said the new Business Promotion Act was a positive step forward.
He said that the Mediterranean Film Studios, where 70 per cent of the productions are held, is a private concern but it needs to be upgraded and the recurring drainage problem in the area needs to be tackled.
“Post production facilities are still lacking, but they may be increased through the opportunities offered by the Business Promotion Act. Another difficulty producers face is the hiring of equipment. There is no camera or lighting equipment in Malta, except in short supply, and so it is an added cost to the producers to bring this equipment with them when they come to Malta,” Mr Azzopardi said.
Another problem is the lack of proper human resources. Malta lacks technical people at all levels. The Commission tried to organise a number of courses last year, he said, and at a cost that was very cheap compared to the actual price. Unfortunately, no one applied from the local TV stations.
“They complained the costs were too high. The Commission is now planning to set up a film school in Malta through the British National Film School and the intention is to obtain scholarships for Maltese students interested in this field,” Mr Azzopardi said.
Tax incentives, he said, had helped Ireland to turn the industry around. In 1993 only two films were made. Now it has the facilities to produce 33 films a year. In Canada, he added, over $1 billion was spent in the Toronto area alone.
Mr Azzopardi added that the Commission has held talks with the Ministry of Finance to fine-tune certain incentives offered by the Business Promotion Act with the result that VAT refunds on most expenses incurred during film-making are possible.
With regards to funding from the European Union, the Commission is targeting programme funds for film-making in Malta.
“The EU offers support through grants for the production of documentaries on culture. Other funds are available for co-productions,” Mr Azzopardi said.