Malta’s film producers are calling for the immediate resignation of film commissioner Johann Grech after facing allegations he would favour certain production companies to the detriment of everyone else in the industry.

In a statement, the Malta Producers Association called on Tourism Minister Julia Farrugia Portelli take action should he refuse to step down.

According to a report by The Shift, Grech would omit several local film producers in its list of registered production companies that are provided to foreign filmmakers using Malta.

“[The news] is shocking but hardly surprising. The writing has been on the wall for some time now with many industry stakeholders becoming increasingly concerned that the film industry seems to be doing well only for a chosen few. It should go without saying that the private sector must be allowed to function without any interference from partisan interests,” the MPA said.

For years, producers and line producers have been calling for the system to return to being open and transparent, with a full, public directory of producers and other service providers being available online

This is the system used the world over to ensure a level playing field for all stakeholders. It allows international filmmakers to collaborate with persons or companies based on their own research and due diligence

The MPA said that the Film Commission had, some years ago, inexplicably removed the existing online directory and replaced it with an opaque system it called ‘Opportunities For All’. To date, no online directory has been uploaded.

“It is bitterly ironic that despite its title the new system seems to have been designed to be an opportunity for the very few, determined privately and arbitrarily by the Film Commissioner, Johann Grech, who was appointed by the disgraced Konrad Mizzi.”

“We have little doubt that the employees at Malta Film Commission are acting on specific instruction of Johann Grech. This is a blatant abuse of his position and shamelessly distorts the market,” they said.