Tourism Ministry still collecting information on Malta Film Awards expenditure one week on

Tourism Minister Clayton Bartolo was unable to detail government spending on last month’s Malta Film Awards when asked repeatedly by Opposition MPs on Monday.

The minister said information related to the expenditure was still being collected, and will be tabled during another sitting.

“What we know is that the Malta Film Awards were the epitome of the Malta Film Week, and we provided a space for stakeholders to voice their opinions and concerns so that the industry continues to grow,” Bartolo told the House.

PN MPs Jason Azzopardi, Karl Gouder and Therese Comodini Cachia found issue with Bartolo’s reply, stating questions were submitted over a week ago and so the ministry had ample time to collect the information.

Government had budgeted €400,000 for the event but the lavish evening, which also included the participation of David Walliams as host, is believed to have cost substantially more. Industry observers have floated the possibility that the event cost more than €1 million, which jars with the annual film fund of €600,000.

But Bartolo was having none of the criticism in parliament. He hit back at the Opposition, accusing it of "hating" the film sector. "You wanted to turn the Kalkara tanks into fish farms, and handed over the Malta Film Facilities to the private sector."

Bartolo said a PN government had spent €1.1 million on the European Film Awards, twice the set budget, exhausting funds for the sector. "You want to attack the industry," Bartolo retorted.

"We asked for the budget which was set before the actual event took place," Comodini Cachia rebutted.

MP Jason Azzopardi also asked the minister how he "could look people in the eye" given the awards’ budget, and the award of a direct order to a supplier who also provided services to the Labour Party.

The first edition of the Malta Film Awards was met with criticism by a number of industry stakeholders. They noted a lack of COVID-19 regulation enforcement while noting the exorbitant price tag of the whole event.

“So rules don’t apply to the Malta Film Awards I take it? No masks, no clusters, possibly no requirement for vaccines. Yet all other producers risk a fine of €500 per person! Two weights, two measures,” theatremaker and producer, Wesley Ellul had said.

Howard Keith Debono, President of the Malta Entertainment Industry and Arts Association, admitted that the efforts made to celebrate local film and TV was admirable, but raised concerns over the actual amount of money spent on the one-off awards ceremony.

“If the rumours are correct, that from the initial €400,000 budgeted to produce a one-off Malta Film Awards the actual budget shot up to seven figures (€2 million and more is being mentioned), then one needs to ask why and how. The initial budget was flagged by the stakeholders because it sharply contrasted the funds given to Maltese film makers. I can only imagine how they would feel and react if what is being mentioned is true,” he had said.