Film productions contributed €72.7 million to local economy last year

Film productions in 2022 contributed €72.7 million to the local economy, according to a Malta Film Commision economic impact assessment.

A summary of the findings was presented to journalists on Friday, but film commissioner Johann Grech said that the full report will be handed directly to the National Audit Office.

According to the report, €72.7 million was injected into economy by 24 different film productions throughout 2022.

The generated Gross Value Added (GVA) from these productions is estimated to be approximately €93.8 million.

Moreover, the average Maltese-to-Foreign crew ratio for 2022 stood at 78%.

Grech highlighted that every euro invested through the cash rebate programme generated €3 of gross value added.

‘Cash rebate is here to stay’

In his address, Tourism Minister Clayton Bartolo said the government is committed to maintaining the cash rebate program as a cornerstone of the Malta’s film industry.

Acknowledging the progress made in the Maltese film industry, he said that Malta has witnessed significant growth in its film production activities over the past few years, drawing attention from international filmmakers.

He also remarked on the competitive film landscape, saying that Malta will continue to strengthen its programme in the same way neighbouring countries are doing.

“This is why the cash rebate is here to stay. It will not be removed.” Bartolo said.

The minister warned critics, saying that whoever wants to mess with cash rebates is threatening the jobs of more than 1,000 people who work full time in this industry.

In a concluding note, Bartolo mentioned that the economic impact assessment will be sent to the National Audit Office to be included in its investigation into the cash rebate program, in hopes of indicating the government's commitment to transparency and legality in its operations.