Sinbad the sailor drops anchor in Malta

Forts are being transformed into fantasy-inspired sets that will serve as backdrops for a television series about the adventures of Sinbad the sailor that will be entirely filmed in Malta.

The series, filmed by Sky and BBC, was expected to inject €8 million into the economy, Finance Minister Tonio Fenech said yesterday when he visited one of the sets in Fort Rinella.

The 13-part series features a 21-year-old Sinbad, fleeing from his home in Basra, Iraq. As he sails the seas aboard his ship Providence, he experiences fantastic adventures, going to magical places and encountering supernatural phenomena.

Mr Fenech said that for the filming of the series, produced by Impossible Pictures, Maltese involved in production management and props will be employed apart from about 800 extras. Filming will take place in several forts including Rinella, St Elmo and St Angelo.

Filming started in May and Sinbad is the first series being shot entirely in Malta. It is expected to be released next July.

Mr Fenech said that government incentives, through which film-makers get a 22 per cent rebate on their expenses for choosing Malta, were reaping positive results. Recently the government had also launched courses in film production to entice people to join the industry.

Last year, 13 foreign films were shot here and this year filming of World War Z brought Hollywood star and director Brad Pitt to Malta.