Another edition of the Mediterrane Film Festival and the Golden Bee Awards has just gone by, and once again we were left with more questions and doubts than when we started.

Organising an event that celebrates the film industry and recognises those who work hard in it is commendable, but the way things are being done leaves much to be desired. Some very pertinent questions arise so fast, they will make your head spin!

It appears that the Film Commission in Malta is run by a quasi-dictatorship, and everything boils down to one man – the Commissioner himself. It is evident that the man has been given absolute temporal powers to enact, empower and execute anything and everything he deems necessary to bolster his ego. The lavish and extravagant show which took place at Manoel Island on Sunday was just the tip of the very expensive iceberg which is being estimated to have cost close to €4 million.

Estimated, because nothing of this is being done in a transparent or equitable way. We remember the repeated embarrassment the Minister for Tourism had to go through last year, each time someone asked him how much the previous awards night had cost. It was so clear that he had no idea, and he was covering up for the Commissioner who for some reason enjoys unbelievable protection.

The same has happened again this year. The festival was nothing short of the most extravagant soiree, complete with wall-to-wall marketing, fancy set-ups, international star participants, a short format professionally produced movie, fireworks and a lush party for good measure.

However, we haven’t seen one piece of accountability, paper-work or reference to how things should properly be done. The gargantuan amounts of tax-payer euros were spent willy-nilly, as if belonging to a private individual. The Commissioner has once again been given an open cheque by someone, and this is certainly not on!

To add the cherry to the cake, the Commissioner claimed that he was about to double the value of the film industry to the economy. However, he failed to provide any workings, parameters, or any form or measurable outcomes.  It is all a guestimate, based on hunches. This is not how an industry is run.

Once again, my problem is not with the industry or the amazing people working in it. Our film industry is decorated by some of the most celebrated and sought-for craftspersons, technical people and creatives the sector has to offer. No wonder that for many decades we have managed to attract hundreds of productions to our shores, some of which have made it huge on the silver screen as well as on TV.

Celebrating the work of these amazing people is commendable. Yet this is not what is happening here. This is nothing but a pride extravaganza.

I have said time and time again that the moneys spent on such events would be better invested in developing a local film industry – that would grow and live alongside the film servicing industry – which are two completely separate things.

Unfortunately, a Maltese film industry that would produce and market local stories to the world remains struggling and nearly non-existent. Valiant attempts such as Simshar, Luzzu, Carmen and Limestone Cowboy, to mention just a few, went up against all odds, with little to no support, running just on the grit and the creativity of the dedicated people behind them. Can you imagine if the resources wasted in the past two weeks were instead invested in these productions and many others, what a huge difference it would make?

But don’t take it from me, I am a politician sitting on the Opposition benches after all and though my opinions are based on fact and thorough research, I might be considered biased – fair enough. However, following the awards night, prominent Film analysis media all agreed that while the show was extravagant and couldn’t be criticized from the entertainment point of view, one huge conspicuous element was missing. That of the local product!

They observed how the awards night was daring in showcasing and awarding films from the entire Mediterranean basin, including Palestine (commendable no doubt), yet not one film from Malta, the host country, was present!

They were incredulous, as they couldn’t fathom how Malta, a country with 7,000 years of history, a language that combines two of the world’s most ancient cultures together, a place of unbelievable charm and beauty, did not have its own stories to tell!

We agree, dear journalists. And it is a crying shame.

Public funds should not go to extravagant shows of personal pride – they should be invested equitably and in a transparent manner in an industry that really needs them.

Julie Zahra is the Opposition’s Shadow Minister for Cultural Heritage, Arts, and Culture