Written by on Mar 20, 2015. Posted in On Location

Malta to make China filming agreement as production spending soars for 2014

Malta has announced a production agreement with China is close and that the Maltese industry saw a huge increase in international spending in 2014. Transformers director Michael Bay is among the high-profile filmmakers planning a Malta shoot in the near future.

Tourism Minister Edward Zammit Lewis told media that international production spending in Malta reached EUR 29 million in 2014, compared to just EUR 5 million the previous year, reports Malta Today. The experience gained by Maltese crews could also benefit local shoots.

“We hope to transfer these skills to produce high-standard Maltese films as well,” added film commissioner Engelbert Grech at the press event.

“Our efforts this year will focus on promoting Malta as a good film location and restructuring the film fund in order to promote and incentivise more Maltese feature films, short film production for newcomers.”

Zammit Lewis pledged a million euros in spending for the Maltese production industry and announced that an agreement is in progress with China. The first Chinese film to be shot in Malta is expected in the coming months.

Malta is a popular international filming location with a competitive filming incentive. The country regularly doubles for Middle Eastern locations, featuring as Israel in Brad Pitt’s World War Z and more recently hosting the biblical dramas Clavius and The Dovekeepers.

Michael Bay will film locally for his upcoming film 13 Hours, telling the true story of a Special Forces operation to rescue staff from a US compound in the Libyan city of Benghazi in 2012.

“The government is very optimistic about this industry and we are sure it will provide opportunities for economic growth and job generation in our country,” Zammit Lewis added.

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(Image: Malta Film Commission)