Johann Grech Defends Film Commission’s Progress Amid Opposition Scrutiny

During a Public Accounts Committe hearing, Film Commissioner Johann Grech said that the National Audit Office has vetted all economic reports published by the Film Commission and confirmed their veracity, which confirms the film industry as one of the fastest growing sectors in the country .

Commissioner Grech also presented a number of independent studies that showed that the Malta Film Commission under his administration brought 169 productions, with a budget of over €635 million.

He said that the law regulating the Film Commission put a focus on foreign direct investment and he said that comparing one with funding for film-makers is not comparable.

“One is meant to create added economic value through FDI, the other has no ROI expectation and its focus is cultural and artistic” Grech said.

He also showed images of the dire situation at the Film Studios prior to 2017 and invited the committee to tour the studios to see the investment which has been undertaken.

He also gave details of the impact assessment of the Mediterrane Film Festival and the advertising value.

Commissioner Grech said that the 2024 festival generated an economic impact of €9.7 million from a budget of €5 million, which is an increase of 38% compared to the €7 million economic impact from a €4 million investment in the first edition.

Apart from the economic reports vetted and validated by the NAO, Grech presented three additional reports to the committee: a report with photos highlighting the situation at the Film Studios before he took over, a report by Grant Thornton on the additional expenditure of crews which leads to more than €5 million and an economic report by a reputable author on the economic value of the film industry, which in 2023 generated 18% of the economic growth in the Maltese economy.

However, the Opposition party voiced strong concerns during the meeting. They accused the Government of abusing its majority in the PAC by voting to halt Commissioner Grech’s testimony. The Opposition also expressed dissatisfaction with Grech’s failure to answer several questions regarding the expenditure of public funds and discrepancies between budgeted and requested expenses. The Opposition called for full transparency and further scrutiny of the Film Commission’s financial dealings.

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