FILM INDUSTRY SPIN-OFFS BOOST COUNTRY’S ECONOMY

During a visit to the facilities offered by the Mediterranean Film Studios in Ricasoli, Minister for Economic Affairs and Industry Dr. John Attard Montalto stated that “the film industry in Malta has become vital to the Maltese economy because it generates numerous spin-offs. It is an important exchange earner with direct and indirect revenue multipliers for the commercial and the support services sectors in Malta.”

Dr. Attard Montalto stated that Mediterranean Film Studios’ colourful history dates back as far as 1964 when the first shop in Malta was established. It was the first experience of the local film industry which then saw the birth of Malta Film Facilities, a new service company to the international film industry.

The company, now called Mediterranean Film Studios, boasts of two unique shooting tanks near the sea, one of which, a deep-water giant hole is the only construction of its kind in the world. One of the shooting tanks—the surface shooting tank—is unique in the sense that a natural horizon and a natural sky can be used as the background to film actions on open sea. Typical examples where producers have used this tank with miniature or full-size ships floating in it are classical films like Shout at the Devil and the six hour Lorimar-RAI-CLESI TV series entitled Cristoforo Colombo. Another classic film shot in this surface tank is Dino de Laurentis’ film Orca the Killer Whale, where the producer built several sixty-foot high icebergs projecting out to the sea.

Another unique second tank facility is the underwater photography tank. The surface shooting tank and the underwater photography tank are equipped with all the necessary technology to create special effects like stormy seas, rain, lighting etc.

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The Mediterranean Film Studios facilities have been an important venue for several other world famous hits like Popeye, Raise the Titanic, Midnight Express, Clash of the Titans, David Copperfield, The Seventh Voyage of Sinbad, Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger, and Roman Polanski’s film Pirates, to mention a few examples.

Mediterranean Film Studios have also served as an exterior location filming for several television production series. Minister Attard Montalto noted that for these and other successful film making ventures the company has been described by many film producers as ‘a natural film studio island’.

Mediterranean Film Studios are one of the most competitive locations anywhere around. The company boasts some of the best, highly experienced and skilled personnel available on the Island. The Minister concluded by saying that Malta’s historical heritage and its natural Mediterranean charm make of our country an ideal playground for most film producers.