Malta's submission to this year's Academy Awards is not being promoted because producers are still waiting for money owed to them by the Malta Film Commission.
Castillo producers Abigail Mallia and Carlos Debattista said they have spent months chasing the commission for a reply to their queries, without ever getting a reply.
“The fact that the responsible entity won’t even respond to us—it’s unimaginable. Do you think they’d keep Ridley Scott waiting for two months? I doubt it,” said Mallia.
Their problems in getting paid - the two told Times of Malta that they have been forced to pay people out of their own pockets - mean there is no money left to promote Castillo in the run-up to this year's Oscars, they said.
Castillo, which is based on a novel of the same name by Claire Azzopardi, was selected earlier this year as Malta's entry to the 97th Academy Awards by the Malta Academy Selection Committee.
Problems with payments to Castillo reflect a broader problem within Malta's film sector, according to the Malta Entertainment Industry and Arts Association.
In a statement on Tuesday, the MEIA said the Malta Film Commission and other public entities are delaying payments owed to film producers for months and that is having a knock-on effect on film crews and service providers.
According to MEIA, film producers are facing “unprecedented delays” in receiving promised funding and cash rebates, which offer up to 40 per cent back on qualifying expenditures.
They note that these delays have left some producers struggling for months to pay crew and service providers. MEIA added that the delays are also “forcing filmmakers to halt work or scramble to cover payroll.”
The MEIA also said it has received reports of the Commission ignoring filmmakers' emails and phone calls for months on end.
Mallia and Debattista, Castillo's producers, said they have attempted to contact the commission for over two months without a response.
They say they submitted all paperwork requested of them with the film commission before starting production, and then double-checked with the commission to confirm everything was in order.
“We were told it was, so we proceeded with production of the film, factoring in the rebate,” said Mallia. However, after production wrapped, they were informed that a specific certificate was missing to claim the rebate.
“We were unaware that we needed this, as it was never communicated to us, nor did anyone guide us on the matter,” Mallia explained.
“Working with the film commission, you don’t feel safe,” she said, contrasting the experience with her positive dealings with Arts Council Malta, which runs the screen support scheme for local films. She said this “has a clear system that makes you feel secure as a producer.”
MEIA said it has been working with the Tourism Ministry to address the payment delays and acknowledged the ministry's efforts, which have led to compensation for many members.
However, MEIA stressed that some payments are still pending and added, “we cannot accept that it takes such pressure for people to receive their due compensation.”
It is not just the Malta Film Commission that is late in paying filmmakers, the MEIA said. "Other" public entities are also several months late in disbursing funds to local creatives, it said.
MEIA called for reforms to establish clear payment timelines, improve communication with industry professionals, and implement accountability measures.
“When funding mechanisms lack transparency and accountability, they erode trust between creative professionals and governmental bodies,” MEIA said.
Questions sent to the Malta Film Commission remained unanswered at the time of publication.