Popular actor Lara Azzopardi claimed on Sunday that Johann Grech used to "bully" her and most women who worked at the Film Commission.

In a Facebook post, Azzopardi recalled her time at the Malta Film Commission as a part-time worker in 2019.

Azzopardi said she went unpaid for months on end when she worked there and was never told why she was not being paid.

"I used to be really afraid of him: he was a bully, just as he was with the majority of women," said Azzopardi, who is known for her roles in popular local TV programs Iċ-Ċaqqufa and Ġiselle.

Azzopardi said she used to hold Grech in high esteem "until one day, after having a drink, his arrogance towards me became bigger and clearer".

"Today, I hold no esteem towards you, Johann Grech," Azzopardi said on Sunday, days after it was revealed by Times of Malta that a 10-minute film he featured in cost more than €500,000.

Tourism Minister Clayton Bartolo has since told Grech he should not have featured in a 10-minute short film.

Recently, producers highlighted how taxpayers have spent almost €8million on two film festivals while little funding is made available for local productions.

On Sunday, Azzopardi said that while Grech was happy to pay big money for foreign filmmakers, local productions were left out in the cold.

"Professionals in the local industry beg for quality productions on Maltese television, but they say there are no funds," Azzopardi said, calling out Grech for "disrespecting people with real talent". 

Following Azzopardi's post, a make-up artist who works in the film industry said she too had been left unpaid for work she did three years ago.

Lara Vella Baldacchino claimed she was one of 13 self-employed crew members who had not been paid for the last two weeks of work on the production " and the Malta Film Commission did nothing".

The commission, she said, did not like people who spoke up and only wanted people who asked no questions and accepted what they were given.

Times of Malta contacted Grech for a reaction to the claims.