The budget for the next Mediterrane Film Festival is still being discussed, Tourism Minister Clayton Bartolo said on Wednesday, insisting that the country got back far more in value than was spent on the event. 

On Wednesday, it was revealed that the event cost taxpayers €3.8 million after a report was hastily tabled in parliament just before a lengthy debate about the public inquiry into the death of Jean Paul Sofia was set to begin. 

Times of Malta previously reported how the festival paid for entirely by taxpayers had spent lavishly on flying guests business class and putting them up in luxury hotels. 

Last week Tourism Minister Clayton Bartolo announced a second edition of the festival is planned to be held in June. 

“The budget is still in the process of being made up, the necessary discussions are being held with the Finance Ministry, including on civil matters to be considered,” Bartolo said in reply to questions on Thursday. 

Asked whether the country had got value for money on the film festival, the minister insisted that the country had reaped more rewards than it had spent. 

“You call it a spend but I see it as an investment that generated €7 million in economic value for the country, plus €2.5 million value-added and an advertising value of €16 million,” he said. 

“That means if we had tried to generate the amount of advertising the festival created by ourselves it would have cost us €16 million when in reality we were able to generate that value with just €3.8 million.” 

He added that the country could also see some €10 million in potential business opportunities in the future.

Bartolo said it was high time that everyone stopped playing political football with the film industry as it has the potential to be a true driver of the economy. 

Earlier in February, a freedom of information request by the Daphne Caruana Galizia Foundation revealed that British comedian and author David Walliams was paid a whopping €120,000 to host the Malta Film Awards in January 2022.