The Malta Entertainment Industry and Arts Association (MEIA) acknowledges the 2025 edition of the Mediterranea Film Festival as a high-profile cultural event that has drawn international attention to Malta. The association recognises the efforts of the organisers, artists, creatives, and technical teams who have delivered another milestone event, helping to position Malta on the map as a destination for top-quality, high-level film servicing.

MEIA has long advocated for the need to expose the Maltese filmmaking community to high-quality industry training, and we acknowledge the Mediterranea Film Festival’s continued efforts in this regard,  particularly through its inspiring masterclasses, held again in this year’s edition. These sessions provide valuable learning experiences and contribute to the festival’s dynamic blend of learning and spectacle.

That said, we believe that more emphasis should be placed on creating meaningful networking opportunities. Festivals are not only about entertainment and education,  they are primarily vital spaces for building relationships, exchanging ideas, and fostering new collaborations. This is especially important for stakeholders from smaller nations like Malta, where such opportunities are limited. We also encourage the inclusion of more speakers whose experiences reflect Malta’s unique context and scale. We hope to see future editions continue to grow into more inclusive platforms that support genuine capacity-building and connection within the local film ecosystem.

The recognition given to Maltese filmmaking through the screening of Maltese films was a welcome development  to this year’s roster, along with the recognition given to local professionals in film during the festival’s closing evening. Such moments are important in affirming the role of local talent and publicly celebrating their contribution to the sector, and we were very happy to see the festival moving in that direction this year. 

While we applaud the Festival’s programming, we were surprised that screening fees for local filmmakers were at just €250, especially given the event’s substantial public backing of €5,000,000. This becomes even more disheartening when one further considers the exorbitant fee paid to the presenter that evening.

We strongly believe that a festival of this scale must sit within a clear strategic vision that prioritizes sustainability, equity, and long-term growth for the industry as a whole, and not short-term gains.

MEIA, in its capacity as a voice for countless local professionals who continue to face systemic underinvestment and limited access to sustainable opportunities, remains committed to constructive dialogue with government entities, including the Film Commission, to ensure that such situations are addressed and rectified.

In this regard, one of the most urgent gaps remains the absence of a coherent, inclusive National Film Policy. Despite repeated calls, this remains unaddressed. MEIA continues to await a response from the Film Commission regarding our proposal for dialogue on this issue. We also reiterate our invitation to the Film Commissioner to engage directly with MEIA and other stakeholders in constructive discussion. 

With Arts Council Malta now sharing responsibility for the film sector, MEIA welcomes the productive collaboration  with both Arts Council Malta and the Ministry for Culture and Local Affairs. We greatly value their openness and commitment to working together for the benefit of the industry. We sincerely hope that the same level of constructive partnership can be established with the Malta Film Commission, so that collectively, we can drive Malta’s film industry forward. The growth of the sector cannot happen in silos.  

MEIA is committed to supporting initiatives that raise the profile of Malta’s film and TV industries, but we remain equally committed to holding public cultural initiatives to the standards of fairness, clarity, accountability and responsibility that our sector deserves. 

The Mediterrane Film Festival holds promise, but for that promise to be fulfilled, it must shift from being a marketing-led event to becoming a genuinely industry-shaping platform.