Malta’s place as a hub for the filming of international films has been consolidated over the last few years.

Indeed, we have seen several major blockbuster films be partly filmed in Malta, with the most recent being the blockbuster Jurassic World Dominion and one of the most awaited being Ridley Scott’s historical epic Napoleon which is expected to hit theatre screens in 2023.

 The government in the most recent Budget budgeted some €11 million in cash to attract international productions such as these, but documents to the European Commission showed that that number might rise to a mammoth €50 million.

Attracting the international film industries through rebates, tax credits and other fiscal measures has been one of the cornerstones of various governments ever since Malta joined the European Union, and it is undeniable that these films do put Malta on the map (although perhaps having the country star as a black market hub as it did in Jurassic World may not be the best advert) and are good for the economy.

However, we must see this in comparison with the support – or lack thereof – which is offered to the local film industry.

Maltese film houses may not be the makers of dinosaur-featuring blockbusters, but there is significant talent locally which is not receiving nearly enough support from the government in order to keep afloat.

Films such as Luzzu and Carmen among others are proof of the talent present among local ranks.

Yet while up to €50 million has been reserved for the foreign blockbusters, local filmmakers only have access to a fund worth €600,000 – one which hasn’t even been made available yet.

This is a quite pathetic number compared to what is spent on the international industry: The government spent the equivalent of just over 5% of that just to erect three dinosaur statues to promote Jurassic World, and spent hundreds of thousands of euros (we’d love to tell you exactly how much, but the Malta Film Commission continues to obstinately refuse to tell us) to organise the Malta Film Awards.

Producer Pierre Ellul, who worked on Carmen, told The Malta Independent on Sunday that “all the focus is on the foreign projects and the Maltese filmmaker is left out in the cold.”

“€600,000 as a pot for all the filmmakers on the island to fund the five strands within the lifetime of a film project - writer grants, development, production, distribution and marketing – is ridiculously poor,” he said.

“Film is an expensive medium. Professionals in the field should be able to earn a decent living out of it, not be treated as hobbyists. There are people in Malta who actually work in film and make a living out of film.”

Asked by this newsroom why the fund has not been made available for local filmmakers this year, Tourism Minister Clayton Bartolo replied: "We are working on several changes for this fund so that local producers will be given the opportunities that they deserve."

Asked what the changes will involve, he said that there was "no need to worry" as all the details will come out when it is announced – however, the Minister did not give a date for when this will happen.

It’s a pity once again that the government seems to have favoured selling itself to the highest foreign bidder rather than supporting the local industry and local productions.

It’s perhaps yet another piece of evidence of the pervasive colonial mentality which still occupies the minds of the Maltese, where we seem content to see Malta on the big screen and making a big deal out of it.

One can only hope that the government will stop ditching Malta for the glitz and glamour of Hollywood and offer the local industry the support it deserves.