Malta Film Commissioner Johann Grech is confident that the island’s film industry will continue to remain competitive and attract big-budget blockbusters in a post-COVID-19 world.

“Malta will remain competitive in the market, offering versatile locations with the ability to double up for various countries,” he said.

“We are confident that we will continue to attract different levels of productions including big-budget blockbusters and TV series.”

Last week, a Maltese film production company identified six areas that they claim needs attention over the next five years if Malta wants to remain a competitive destination for filming.

One of the talking points was the future of Malta’s water tank facilities which the production company said will be in far less demand and could “render the tanks unsustainable” unless a solution in the form of a public-private enterprise is introduced to keep them afloat.

“The water tank facilities at the Malta Film Studios are considered as the biggest asset for the filming industry and this is why, together with the Maltese Government, we have worked on a masterplan to regenerate the film studios with the plan to invest in soundstages,” said Grech.

Grech also affirmed the commission’s commitment to investing in local crew to help sustain the competitive presence of Malta’s film industry on a global scale.

“We shall continue to invest in our crew, creating more career opportunities and supporting filmmakers to ensure that we continue leaving our mark on the world stage.”

Another point of contention was the 40% rebate scheme to incentive foreign produce which the PCP labelled “unsustainable” but which the commissioner poised as being a selling point to attract large-scale film productions.

“Our 40% cash rebate programme is robust, and our programme shall continue to be on the forefront globally, successfully attracting film and TV productions to our islands,” he ended.

Malta has been a hotspot for major film productions thanks to its beautiful, rocky landscapes and baroque architecture but it will have to fight tooth and nail to remain a competitive shooting location in a post-COVID-19 world.

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