The Maltese film and television sector has rarely, if ever, seen as much discussion as we have had in the past months. Everyone from the Malta Film Commission (MFC), to the Malta Entertainment Industry and Arts Association (MEIA), the Malta Producers’ Association (MPA), the General Workers’ Union (GWU) and individual film-makers have been talking about the strengths and weaknesses of this sector.
However, although I have been producing Maltese content for around 12 years, and this sector has been my livelihood for a long time, I have found myself unable to recognise the industry today.
No, sadly we do not have a 100-year history of the film and TV industry. An industry is an economic activity that generates capital and, from the data available, no Maltese film-maker has generated much economic activity, let alone capital, from Maltese films and TV before the past couple of decades.
But producers are not going bankrupt and the sector has seen a serious boom in the past decade with some truly impressive growth. Especially when one remembers that we are working within a marketplace dominated by multinational companies with annual budgets in billions.
So how would I describe the sector? Like every new economic activity, it is going through some growing pains. In 2021, we had two Maltese films released in our cinemas and at least two Maltese films will be released in 2022, a record for our sector when we were lucky to have one film released every couple of years for so long.
Only a few weeks ago, GO plc announced an investment of €1 million in original content over the coming three years and government funding to the sector keeps growing.
Do we have bad actors taking advantage of their cast and crew at every turn? Yes, we do, but a movement is growing to fight this abuse, in part thanks to the GWU.
Is it a tough business requiring long hours and sacrifice? Let’s be honest, which innovative business going through accelerated growth doesn’t? Our sector is no different.
Is the funding available through Screen Malta enough? When you consider that it takes dozens, sometimes hundreds, of personnel working for months to make a film, in the words of the Malta Film Commission: “No, not at all.”
No Maltese film-maker has generated much economic activity, let alone capital- Martin Bonnici
But, at least, we are all in agreement on that answer and this government (in its electoral manifesto) has promised to increase Screen Malta’s funding from €600,000 a year to €2,000,000 a year, which is a substantial.
While our film-funding opportunities may be low in comparison to other European nations, the level of private investment is probably the most embarrassing gap in our strategy. Films all over the world make use of state subsidies but these are merely a small part of the equation needed to make a film; we also need to attract private investment.
For years, Maltese film-makers have struggled to raise private financing to match the funding offered by the Maltese government. If the private sector was not even able to match €100,000 in state funding, will it be able to match more? Our long-term goal should be to build a stable and financially sustainable sector that not only helps us examine and understand our own culture but also generates employment and a return on investment.
To achieve this goal, we need to look at the industry as a long-term investment and also start speaking about both the art and the business of films and TV. We need to take a step back, forget our appetite for glamour and awards, focus on the economic activity each project has created over the past decades and encourage more long-term commitments from film-makers and investors. While we need to ensure the industry provides opportunities for all, we must not discourage people with talents and long track records from building on their experience.
As announced during the first ever Malta Film Week, a new national policy for films is currently being developed. It is an exciting time to be a part of the sector, not just for film-makers but also for investors interested in seeing a whole new economic niche develop in Malta. The coming months are crucial for our future and it is my hope that petty squabbles are put aside.
We need Maltese film-makers, the business community and public officials to come together for a constructive discussion that will map out our future. We need to talk openly and honestly about the place of producers within the sector and ask ourselves what roles organisations like Malta Enterprise and the Malta Development Bank might play to create a long-term plan for success in this sector.
Martin Bonnici, film director