The Film Commissioner's performance at the Public Accounts Committee this week, though heavily aided by government side MPs, was little convincing. Though Johann Grech made sure to take credit for all the achievements and hard work of the sector, he fell short of providing the necessary workings behind his claims - something which unfortunately we have grown accustomed to.

I will not go on how he failed to provide any answers about the run-away spend of his Commission, or the festivals or the short film he featured in. I am rather more interested in the future and long-term vision for the film servicing industry in Malta and what plans he has in place to future-proof the sector.

Anyone who hasn't been living under a pebble for the past weeks knows how the President of the United States has finally thrown his attention towards Hollywood and announced a 100% tariff on internationally produced movies, in an attempt to entice American filmmakers to reconsider the land of the free, for their next flick.

It didn't come as a surprise really, especially considering the deluge of tariffs that Trump has unilaterally unleashed onto the rest of the globe, effectively starting a trade war with all previous friends and allies. What we take from all of this, is that the latest news from this new America, is no bluff, and is to be taken seriously.

But this isn't a critique of Trumpian policies, or an analysis of the world economic dynamics in 2025. Those can be dealt with by others specialised in those fields. What I am interested in is the way this newly announced economic policy is bound to affect our local film industry, a considerable portion of which reportedly comes from the United States.

I say considerable because we all are aware of the mega productions, some of which staring A-lister actors and household name directors that choose Malta from time to time to shoot their blockbusters. Gladiator II was perhaps only the latest huge production to have created ripples on the international stage to be shot in Malta. There were many more before it, as Malta has managed to consistently attract big names to its film servicing industry, which no doubt is an honour in itself.

However, it is just a guess. Large productions, generate large economic impact no doubt, but reliable statics on the countries of origin of film productions in Malta and what impact we are talking about is scant at best. We cannot reliably calculate what the impact of these tariffs will be. More transparency is certainly in order.

Moreover, we should consider this as a wake-up call, for a long overdue analysis of the industry beyond the glitz, the festivals and the spotlights, but to really focus on the strategy and the bread-and-butter issues which just might be under threat, under our very noses. It is an opportunity to take decisive action that can transform this challenge into an opportunity for our film servicing industry.

There is absolutely nothing wrong in taking on large scale productions that put Malta's name on the international stage. This certainly has an immeasurable ripple effect that is hard to quantify. However, we also need to consider the intensity of such productions and the resources, and sometimes preferential treatment, they demand from the industry and the country.

Any businessperson worth their salt will attest that it is never a good idea to put all your proverbial eggs in one solitary basket. Same with your business streams. A manufacturing plant will always want to have multiple clients, from locations and industries as far removed from each other as possible, in order to guarantee stability and the least disruption as possible. Same with the film industry. It is far better to have a steady stream of financially sound smaller productions from around the globe, than one blockbuster every four or five years, which drains the industry straight out.

Government invests very handsomely in this industry, and while in principle such investment, like any other support to other industries is good, we have questioned the reasoning behind certain decisions. It is time to be more transparent in this aspect as well, and make sure that the generous support afforded to foreign companies, is as effective and lucrative to the local industry as possible.

As policy makers, we must also strive to build our own European film industry which is already making impressive strides. As the new train of thought on behalf of the US is bound to affect all of Europe, we ought to seek new synergies and partnerships with other European industries and production houses.

Malta has collaborated superbly with household names from all over the EU in the past, so there is a great deal of experience and good will to build upon. 

Equally significant is the need to nurture our own indigenous film industry, composed of Malta-produced films which is yearning for support. I have spoken at length on how Maltese producers struggle to obtain the much-needed support, while huge international studios get millions. As we get ready to celebrate another Mediterranee Film Festival, what Maltese productions will we be celebrating? While I have no doubt that the Film Commission will be throwing yet another outstanding party, sadly, I can only think of a handful of local production houses which have managed to produce their movie in the past 12 months. Will we be going through the same embarrassment of last year?

Diversification remains key, and we must create the right environment for local production companies to assure a steady diversified stream of business. Smaller productions might not offer the photo ops with the huge names blockbusters bring over, but we're not in the business for photo ops, are we. The film industry is at a crossroads. However, this is an opportunity, that if managed well, can take the industry to new exciting avenues.