‘It was not overspending, it was investing’ –⁠ Johann Grech hits back at critics

Malta Film Commissioner Johann Grech has defended his record in office, pushing back against critics who have questioned the Film Commission’s spending and long-delayed infrastructure plans.

Speaking about Malta’s growing film sector with Screen Global Production, Mr Grech said that attracting large international productions to the island has become “the norm”, arguing that the industry’s expansion required ambitious investment. “When I became commissioner, I said we are going to create a world-class film industry,” he said, adding that criticism over spending misunderstood the strategy: “It was not overspending, it was investing.”

His remarks come after sustained scrutiny over the Commission’s finances and governance last year, especially its expenditure on the Mediterrane Film Festival.

The 2024 edition of the Mediterrane Film Festival cost around €3.7 million, while the 2025 edition of the festival is estimated to have cost around €5 million.

During a Public Accounts Committee session, Mr Grech defended the Commission’s approach, insisting that spending had been responsible and arguing that the industry generated a strong economic return for every euro invested.

During the hearing, Mr Grech defended the Film Commission’s record, stating that the National Audit Office had vetted economic reports published by the Commission and confirmed their accuracy. He argued that the figures demonstrate the film industry has become one of the fastest-growing sectors in Malta, driven largely by foreign direct investment.

Mr Grech had told the committee that, under his administration, the Film Commission had attracted 169 productions with a combined budget exceeding €635 million.

He stressed that the Commission’s legal mandate focuses specifically on generating economic value through inward investment, distinguishing this from public funding aimed at cultural or artistic projects, which he said should not be measured by the same return-on-investment criteria.

As part of his defence, Mr Grech presented several supporting studies and reports, including independent economic analyses and documentation showing the state of Malta Film Studios prior to 2017.

He also cited data linked to the Mediterrane Film Festival, saying the 2024 edition generated an estimated €9.7 million in economic impact from a €5 million budget, representing an increase compared to earlier editions.

Government MPs echoed similar arguments during discussions on the Commission’s spending, as Labour MP Alex Muscat in an interview earlier this month said that costs are justified if they deliver tangible returns for Malta, arguing that the industry’s growth should be evaluated within the broader context of attracting international productions and foreign investment.

The sound stage

The long-promised sound stage project has been a recurring point of criticism.

First announced in 2020 as part of plans for three sound stages, the project has faced repeated delays and evolving plans. Mr Grech has acknowledged that only one sound stage currently has permits in place and that costs are expected to exceed earlier projections, while timelines have shifted over the years. Now, a tender is expected in the next few weeks.

Criticism has also come from within the industry. Local filmmakers have previously argued that Malta risks losing productions to competing jurisdictions because of limited studio infrastructure, with some suggesting that funds allocated to promotional initiatives could have been better directed towards permanent facilities.