Nationalist Party MP Karl Gouder and candidate Alex Mangion today called for proper investment in the film industry while lamenting the use of the Malta Film Awards as a political showcase.

The Malta Film awards, which occurred last week, supposedly had an initial budget of €400,000 but when reports of the budget being exceeded, Film Commissioner Johann Grech avoided the question and failed to answer.

Gouder alleged that the awards have in fact cost around €2 million. This is a stark contrast to the €600,000 annual budget for the film commission.

“In the past few days we had the opportunity to meet up with numerous stake holders in the film industry where they expressed their disappointment towards the film commission and the government for the whole situation,” Gouder said.

He also confirmed that the opposition has put forward numerous parliamentary questions to the relevant ministers with regards to the expenditure. “We are not only interested in how much the event cost as a whole but we requested a breakdown of the costs."

Gouder then pleaded with the government to stop "starving” the film industry of funds, stating that “there is immense talent and potential in Malta and these people are not being recognised due to the government’s insistence on turning everything political.”

“It’s as though the labour party have initiated their electoral plan from the awards night,” Gouder said in his final statement.

Mangion then stated that “TVM is being used to promote the Labour electoral message.”

With rising cost living prices, Mangion also brought to the attention of those present that instead of helping people we are using them away every day. “When Robert Abela claimed €17,000 a month from government contracts, we can not expect him to understand the pains of the people.”