Malta is known for its beauty and a treasure trove of cultural history dating back thousands of years. It has also become something of an attraction for filmmakers the world over. The Malta film industry has had a sufficient injection and was launched today as a means to promote local talent.
Malta Film Industry
Minister of Finance, Economy and Investment, Tonio Fenech, in Malta, believes that the film industry is growing quite substantially and the small island has a lot of talent to offer the international movie scene. The monetary injection into the Malta film fund is to give locals the opportunity to produce film and documentaries in Malta. The idea is to promote local producers, directors and actors as a means to promoting the film industry which has grown substantially in the past four years. The Malta film industry has seen 65 international movies filmed on their shores. That’s a huge investment for the small country.
So many international stars have filmed on Maltese shores, and they keep coming back for more. Brad Pitt filmed Troy, while Tom Cruise and Tom Hanks have made their contribution to the movie industry when they also filmed blockbusters on the Mediterranean shores. With international stars using Malta as a backdrop for their movie concepts, Malta film facilities are gaining a reputation as being reliable, affordable with exquisite settings. The fund will be broken into two categories. One for development and the other for production, which opens doors for students to look forward to a future of acting, directing and producing movies that will not only promote themselves, but also Malta.
Malta has recently been promoted as the top trade destination and many European countries are jumping on board to invest in what is fast becoming a powerful little economy. With the film industry taking Malta in account as one of their primary filming locations, it stands to reason that within a few more years the Malta film industry is going to be sitting up there with the Cape Town and Hollywood film industries.
South Africa’s Cape Town has become a popular filming destination and the city has seen an influx of celebrities acting on their shores. This has led to the South African film industry growing at a rapid rate and Cape Town gaining popularity in the location stakes. The versatility of Malta means that the Malta film industry foresees further growth of international filming.
Vida Denning is a freelance writer who loves Malta holidays to unwind.