Cinemas in Malta and Gozo projected 375 film titles and registered 704,243 admissions last year, according to the National Statistics Office.

The NSO said there were eight cinema establishments, including two in Gozo, with a total of 35 screens and a seating capacity of 6,748.

Almost four out of five cinemagoers watched films originating from the United States.

With 20,331 admissions and a total gross box office €100,000 in 1,252 screenings, Maltese productions attracted 2.9 per cent of the total number of admissions.

Foreign productions had 683,912 admissions with a total gross box office of €4,094,000 in 47,635 screenings.

Admissions to 3D movies accounted for 9.4 per cent of the total, while non-3D films enjoyed a share of 73.3 per cent of total admissions.

Last year, 230 fiction films were screened in cinemas across Malta and Gozo. These types of films attracted 78.7 per cent of total admissions. Animation films totalled 25 and attracted 19.2 per cent of total admissions.

In 2015, the most popular movies were ‘Spectre’, ‘Minions’ and ‘Fast & Furious 7’. They attracted 5.9, 5.3, and 5.2 per cent of total admissions respectively.

Total employment in cinemas registered last year stood at 189 persons, of which 82.5 per cent were engaged on a part-time basis.