The past few months have seen a continued active filming schedule in Malta with a number of local and overseas productions being shot in Malta. The start of the year saw a Russian production Angels & Demons taking place followed by a number of local productions, which indicates an ever-increasing and developing indigenous film industry.  As a result of Malta’s unique water tanks and financial incentives, a new BBC drama The Whale, is currently in production.

The past couple of months have seen a number of local productions supported by the Malta Film Fund and administered by the Malta Film Commission taking place, these include The Maltese Fighter, Simshar, Bews il-Bahar and Tuna Can Philosophy. Simshar, which has just wrapped up filming is Malta’s first feature length film for an international distribution and is directed by Rebecca Cremona supported by an experienced local crew who have worked on numerous international productions from Gladiator to World War Z. Simshar follows a Maltese fishing boat that explodes, leaving its crew stranded in open water. With a cast primarily made up of Maltese actors, it gives Maltese actors a chance to showcase their talent internationally. Filming locations included the Mediterranean Film Studios and the fishing village of Marsaxlokk in the south of Malta.

The Maltese Fighter is a short film produced by Malta Film Ltd in collaboration with renowned Canadian producers SpyFilms and directed by Arev Manoukian. The film is set in the 1970s and chronicles a father and son relationship through their passion for boxing. With the capital city of Malta, Valletta, being the only location, filming got under way at the end of March.

First timer, Nicole Cuschieri, has after an intensive three days of shooting wrapped up her artistic short film Bews Il-Bahar, which follows a fisherman and his father who meet two strange, solitary girls while mooring on a desolate island during a storm. The film is scheduled to be released at the end of this month.

Tuna Can Philosophy is the result of a highly professional and motivated team with a script that brings into play many cinematic elements. The film is dedicated to an artist friend who unfortunately is no longer with them. Tuna Can Philosophy, a short film, is written by Angelique Muller and directed by Dejan Desnica. Filming has been completed and the film is scheduled to be released at the end of the year.

Overseas productions shot so far include the Russian production Angels and Demons, which was shot in January at various locations around the island including Malta’s unique open sound stage, Fort Ricasoli. The new BBC production The Whale, which is currently in production after shooting in Gozo is now shooting at the Mediterranean Film Studios on Malta’s unique water tanks. The 90-minute drama featuring Jonas Armstrong (Robin Hood, the street) and written by Terry Cafolla (Holy Cross, Messiah) is being produced for the BBC and Discovery. The Whale follows the ill-fated voyage of The Essex from the eyes of Thomas Nickerson, a 14-year-old cabin boy who was one of only eight survivors of the wreck. The script is based on the detailed account of Nickerson himself, which also formed the basis of Moby Dick by Herman Melville.

Up-and-coming productions for this year will include a Canadian/Maltese production on the life of St Paul, a Danish feature film The Holiday, a British feature film Destroyer set during the Falklands war starring Paul Bettany and Matthew Goode and directed by Tom Shankland, part of which is earmarked to be filmed locally later this year and the possible return of an Italian TV series.

Meanwhile, the Malta Film Commission is constantly engaged in discussions with a number of production houses enquiring about filming in Malta and about the financial incentives, which augurs well for the local film industry. In addition, the coming months will see four more Malta Film Fund productions, administered by the Malta Film Commission, taking place, namely Shab, a short film produced by Martin Bonnici of Shadeena Films Ltd; Four Boxes, a first time feature film for director Chris Zarb and Paul Preca Trapani of Dragonfly Films Ltd, 12 Frames, a short film produced by Peter Paul Gauci of Timecode Ltd and Flutter, a short film produced by David Serge and Matthew Pullicino for The Bigger Picture and directed by Elliot Cowan.

The film festival in Cannes is one of the world’s most prestigious and publicised film festivals and as part of the Malta Film Commission programme of initiatives to market Malta as a unique and dynamic film location, Malta will be present at the Cannes Film Festival until 22 May. A series of one-to-one meetings will take place to raise Malta’s profile with producers and directors who wish to learn more about filming opportunities in Malta and to explain the variety of financial incentives that are available.

In addition, Film commissioner, Peter Busuttil will be attending the next European Film Commissions Network (EUFCN) board meeting where he was elected as a director on 30 November 2012 to serve for a four-year term.