MEIA'S response to the film industry rebate
Whilst MEIA has been following closely the film cash rebate reactions unfolding, our advisory committee representing the local film industry stakeholders, which is made up of Film & TV producers, directors, suppliers and actors, has been working hard to gather a consensus on our official position. When contacted by Times of Malta for an article which has been published this morning , Meia would like to outline that whilst we fully understand the importance of the cash rebate to both the film servicing and the indigenous industry, we need to be re-assured what is being adopted is a financially sustainable model that will ultimately convert into a thriving indigenous industry and a local film legacy for the next years to come.
MEIA has always supported and is in no way suggesting stopping the cash rebate system, however the most pressing concern of all is related to what percentage of the cash rebates for the last 3-4 years ,which is around 150 million Euros ,actually covers the costs of hiring and utilizing local talent and crew. We stand behind all crew and our vision is to get better conditions, more involvement and better roles. Full transparency should be the norm not the exception.
Considering the limited funds available for our creative industry and possibly even Malta’s all round budget, MEIA further believes that limits should be placed on the eligibility of foreign expenditure across every production and guidelines need urgent redrafting in order to design a system that works for all stakeholders. Hence we reiterate the need for constant consultation with any association that represents the stakeholders. A commitment to consult is the main step that needs to be taken toward a more sustainable film ecosystem and so far consultation with MEIA related to the local film industry has been absent. Voluntary associations are specifically set up to build bridges between the members represented and various entities as well as share their professional experience to avoid similar situations unfolding right now.