No decision has been taken yet on whether to publicly screen a 10-minute short film which is believed to have cost at least €500,000 of taxpayers' money, Tourism Minister Clayton Bartolo said on Monday. 

The purpose of the production, called  Once Upon a Time in Malta, was for it to be showcased in international festivals, Bartolo said.  

“This film was made to attract business to our country. The Malta Film Commission intends to bring more work and films to Malta, whether it is blockbusters, short movies, reality shows or series, we work to bring more work to our country.”

Times of Malta revealed last week that film commissioner Johann Grech had an acting part in the 10-minute film, which industry sources said cost at least €500,00 to produce. 

Some sources said the figure spent on the production was “much higher”.

The film, starring David Walliams, saw the British actor and film festival host travel back in time to Malta’s Knights period.

Bartolo previously said the short was intended to drum up interest in the Knights period in Malta. He added that in his view, Grech should not have featured in the production.

On Monday, he said the film would be showcased in international activities to inspire filmmakers and producers to come work in Malta.

When pressed if local filmmakers would be able to watch the film - so that they too could be inspired by the historical period - Bartolo stuck to his guns by emphasising that the film was produced to attract foreign productions to the island. 

“If no work comes, I would say you had a point, and this was wasted money, but if we see money coming in, we will say this was a good investment.”

When pressed on the film and festival's costs, Bartolo said a report would be published soon, and it was difficult to speculate how much the film cost.

Prime minister says film must bring 'very strong' return on investment

Prime Minister Robert Abela implied he has some reservations about the amount spent on the film, saying it must bring “very strong” returns on investment to be considered a smart use of taxpayer money.

“Commissioners and CEOs are accountable for the spending they approve. I need to see what this investment yields before I can judge if it was a smart one,” Abela said.

“If the investment doesn’t bring about significant investment, jobs, and opportunities to the country, it would have been a poor decision. If the return on investment is a very strong one – it needs to be very strong – then I would be able to speak differently about it.”

Abela said the country needed to invest in the film sector “if we really want to attract the top players”, but tempered that with calls for officials to keep tabs on budgets: “let’s be balanced, prudent and cautious,” he said.