Film commissioner Peter Busuttil tells Paula Fleri-Soler about the Malta Film Commission’s plans and projects for the year ahead.

The Film Commission has a lot on its plate for the coming months and no time to catch its breath after 2011 when Malta saw a number of major productions on its soil – from the Brad Pitt film World War Z to the series Sinbad, which was shot here in its entirety for Sky 1 and wraps up at the end of this month.

Films like World War Z pump millions into the economy and we just can’t afford not to be up to scratch

Due to the nature of ongoing negotiations with production companies – not to mention the current global financial challenges – Busuttil is not in a position to confirm what 2012 will bring in terms of actual productions.

While some 2011 projects are still underway, he says, “the commission is working hard on around 20 queries, of which a couple have already been given the green light, but filming dates have not been set at this stage”.

A film about the Great Siege, a large-scale American TV production and an Italian feature film are on the cards, as well as smaller-scale productions and documentaries.

Adding to the slate, a two-part series based on Snow White and a feature about a hijacked tanker, with a well-known actor attached, are looking for locations in Malta.

And yes, Tom Cruise’s agents are definitely looking for a house in Malta, but Busuttil says with a twinkle in his eye that whether it’s for a project the superstar will be working on this year or the next, or whether he simply wants to buy a house remains to be seen.

Busuttil is also keen to discuss other projects besides actual film-making, including seminars, courses and the ongoing task of selling Malta in a competitive market.

“We’re working on creating new incentives and new opportunities for those who want to make films here, not only as a location but also as a place that is small enough to allow the production company to do things they would be unable to do in a larger country,” he says.

Citing Spain, Croatia, Hungary and the Czech Republic as the island’s main competitors, he maintains that the commission has its work cut out as it strives to attract film-makers to Malta.

Warming to his subject, he reiterates the unique points that sell Malta as a film location – the water tanks at the Mediterranean Film Studios, diverse locations that can double up for other countries, the sunshine, and so on.

However, the commission wants to continue to build on the local film industry’s accomplishments and broaden the range of facilities available on the island to be in a position to offer a one-stop shop to film-makers .

He mentions that some foreign equipment and special effects companies are setting up shop in Malta with local partners to be able to provide a more comprehensive and efficient service, while infrastructural projects, including the building of a proper soundstage and the restoration of Fort Ricasoli as a proper film backlot are already under way.

He also reiterates the government’s continuing commitment to the film industry, with a number of entities including Mepa and Heritage Malta working together with the Film Commission to create a strategy to facilitate matters for production companies.

“After all, films like WWZ pump millions into the economy and we just can’t afford not to be up to scratch. There is goodwill from all involved; we are willing to pull the same rope to continue to develop the industry.”

To this end, the commission is organising Film Speak, a conference to be held on February 22, to which all stakeholders and service providers will be invited to participate.

An offshoot of Film Speak will be courses organised by the commission. A course in development, scriptwriting, and pitching is soon coming to an end and Busuttil explains the next course is likely to be for location managers and scouts. The commission is also tapping into EU funds to train people in certain areas of skilled and unskilled labour.

All this will culminate in the European Films Awards, a major event which the commission has already started working on. “It is a mammoth PR exercise for our film industry and we are organising a number of satellite events around the ceremony for the captive audience made up of European film-makers.”

Pausing for breath he concludes, “We are looking at new horizons and new challenges. We win some projects, we lose some. The important thing is to be aware of the realities, opportunities and adversities we are working within at the moment and make the best of them to continue to develop a local industry which has tremendous potential.”

For more information on Film Speak, e-mail info@mfc.com.mt.