Students receive training in film, TV

Thirty-six students are benefiting from a one-off opportunity to attend professional training courses in film and TV given in Malta by the UK's prestigious National Film and TV School.

The intensive courses - a first attempt at local training in the film industry - have been organised by the Malta Film Commission in collaboration with the Employment and Training Corporation.

The courses are being held at St James Cavalier.

They have been heavily subsidised by the government in keeping with its aim to encourage the pooling of local skilled resources, so that foreign production companies would be able to make use of more Maltese crew.

The importance of a trained and experienced crew base has always been recognised by the MFC to attract film productions to Malta, said acting film commissioner Oliver Mallia.

The training pilot initiative has been in the pipeline since the MFC was set up. However, a previous attempt to offer courses at cost price had failed.

Malta lacked a training strategy and the Film Commission planned to develop a policy with the ETC to further develop the film industry, he said.

The strategy should include training to provide services for international productions; to develop and enhance the quality of the local broadcasting industry; and to produce local projects that could be distributed overseas.

The participants, who were selected depending on their experience in the field, were paying 20 per cent of the cost of the courses, while they were free for those registering for work.

Mr Mallia said the commission had received a good response, with 160 applicants.

"Production companies want to use local crew, rather than fly them in, to cut down on their costs. But, unfortunately, Maltese lacked training and experience in the field," he said.

The courses would have to go hand in hand with exposure to the industry, said MFC coordinator Luisa Bonello.

"They are the first step to improving the possibilities of working in a specific department of a production," Ms Bonello said.

"The students would now have to gain experience and, judging by the number of productions in 2002, they should have opportunities to train on forthcoming films."

The participants are being trained by experienced UK professionals in film and TV - from producers to camera operators, assistant directors, production designers and location managers.

Another problem Malta faced was the lack of equipment, which often had to be flown in. In fact, two 16mm and 35mm cameras had to be brought over from Germany for the training courses.

In line with the MFC's goals, last month it organised the Medea conference, a Euro-Med initiative, dedicated to documentary project development in which 15 Maltese professionals had the opportunity to take part as observers.

The initiatives were being embarked on to develop both the film servicing industry and local productions and creativity, Mr Mallia said.