Maltese film-makers furious after being left with no funds
Maltese film-makers have called out the Malta Film Commission for failing to launch this year’s annual €600,000 government film fund, leaving many creatives unable to work and plan. With just a few weeks to go before 2022 wraps up, producers told Times of Malta their pending projects were piling up. “The frustration lies in the fact that we know the funds have been allocated to us but we have no access to them and no real clue when the call is open to producers, leaving us with no time to plan,” film-maker and the head of Malta Producers’ Association (MPA), Charlie Cauchi told Times of Malta. With an annual budget of €600,000, the Screen Malta fund supports local filmmakers to write, develop, produce and distribute Maltese audiovisual work. Producers first flagged the lack of funding in July, saying they were “in the dark” as to when the funding would be open. The film commission then promised the funds were to be launched “soon”. Yet, four months later, producers are still waiting. Meanwhile, the commission dramatically increased the cash rebate offered to international film companies to a whooping €50 million. “Why is Malta given the opportunity to be a world-class player as a...