Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1545479
THE role of the Malta Film Commission is simple—to at- tract film production invest- ment to Malta. In many respects, we are the Malta Enterprise of the film industry. Our mandate, as established by law, is to bring business to Malta, create jobs, generate economic activity, and ensure that Malta remains com- petitive in one of the world's most mobile industries. Yet whenever the Mediterrane Film Festival is discussed, parti- san commentary almost invar- iably focuses on one thing—its cost. It is much easier to reduce an initiative to a line item on a bal- ance sheet than to measure the value it generates. The problem with this approach is that it ig- nores the very purpose of the festival. The Mediterrane Film Festival is not merely a film event. It is a marketing and investment pro- motion tool. Since 2018, the film industry has generated more than €1.2 billion in economic value for Malta and supported an aver- age of 2,500 jobs annually, while also delivering a positive return to public finances. These are not figures produced by the Malta Film Commission. They emerge from independ- ent economic assessments un- dertaken by some of Malta's most respected institutions and economists. We have published these studies, presented them publicly, and made them availa- ble to anyone wishing to under- stand the sector's impact. The evidence is clear. The benefits of film production extend far beyond the film set it- self. Every international produc- tion that comes to Malta creates demand for hotels, restaurants, transport providers, retailers, construction companies, logis- tics operators, equipment sup- pliers and countless other busi- nesses. The sector has evolved from a niche seasonal activity into a structural contributor to Malta's economy, generating employ- ment, exports, foreign direct in- vestment and international visi- bility for Malta. The question, therefore, is not whether the industry creates value. It demonstrably does. The real question is how a small country like Malta competes for this investment. The conventional approach would be to spend substantial amounts on international ad- vertising campaigns, billboards in Los Angeles, pavilions at major film markets, and large- scale promotional activities in Cannes, Berlin and other global industry events. This is the route many competing jurisdictions take. They spend tens of mil- lions of euros annually trying to capture the attention of deci- sion-makers. Malta does not have the luxury of competing on that scale. Instead, we chose a different strategy. Rather than taking Malta to the world, we decided to bring the world to Malta. The Mediterrane Film Festival allows us to place Malta directly in front of the people who make the decisions. Senior studio ex- ecutives, producers, investors, location scouts and industry professionals are invited to ex- perience first-hand what Malta has to offer. They see our locations, under- stand our incentive structures, visit our facilities, meet our crews and witness the profes- sionalism that has enabled Malta to host some of the world's larg- est productions. Instead of asking deci- sion-makers to read about Mal- ta, we invite and host them to experience it. We bring them here, introduce them to our lo- cations, our infrastructure, our crews and our culture, and al- low them to see first-hand why Malta is one of the most com- petitive filming destinations in the world. And we make sure we drive our message effectively— Malta is home for film. Crucially, those visits translate into productions, investment and jobs. That is the return that matters. It is also the part that is often omitted by those who choose to view the film indus- try solely through a political lens. Years ago, we recognised that the most effective way to sell Malta was not through bro- chures, slogans or advertising campaigns during European fes- tivals. It was by allowing deci- sion-makers to experience the country for themselves. That is the principle on which Mediter- rane was built. It brings the peo- ple who make the decisions to Malta, showcasing what we have to offer, and converting that ex- perience into investment for the Maltese economy. This approach may have been unconventional, but it has been thoroughly scrutinised and in- dependently assessed as every taxpayer's expenditure should. The strategy, the incentives and the economic impact of the sector have been examined by economists, auditors and public institutions, including the Na- tional Audit Office. They consistently arrive at the same fundamental conclusion— the film industry generates sub- stantial economic value for Mal- ta, and the strategy of actively bringing industry decision-mak- ers to our shores has delivered tangible results for the country's economy. So, beyond the noise, the num- bers speak for themselves. No advertising campaign can substitute the impact of a pro- ducer walking through Fort Ri- casoli, seeing our water tanks, meeting local crew and under- standing how a complex produc- tion can be delivered efficiently and competitively. The festival also generates in- ternational media exposure that extends far beyond the event itself. Through global coverage, industry networking and direct engagement with decision-mak- ers, Malta strengthens its posi- tion as a serious destination for film production and creative in- vestment. Over the past years, Malta has become one of Europe's most successful film production des- tinations. Productions that might once have overlooked our islands now actively consider Malta as a first-choice location. The growth figures speak for themselves. The festival should not be judged as an isolated event. It should be judged as part of a broader investment attraction strategy. The Mediterrane Film Festival should be evaluated by the investment it helps attract, the jobs it helps create and the economic activity it helps gen- erate. This is why Mediterrane is an investment that has continued to bring strong returns in one of Malta's most successful and fast-growing economic sectors. Investment promotion is not measured by expenditure but it is measured by results. On that point, the Mediterrane Film Festival has delivered. 6 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 21 JUNE 2026 OPINION Johann Grech The economics behind the Mediterrane Film Festival Malta Film Commissioner Oscar-winner Russell Crowe accepted the Malta Film Legend award during The Golden Bee Awards in 2025, returning to the island where he shot Gladiator two decades ago