Malta was promoted at the Berlinale film festival in Berlin as a favourable location for film production through the joint efforts of the Malta Film Commission and the Embassy of Malta to Germany.

The Malta Film Commission participated in the Berlinale’s European Film Market, using it as a platform to establish contacts with partners in the film business. The European Film Market is the festival’s trading-floor, where producers, distributors, buyers and sales agents converge to establish connections, seal agreements and keep abreast – or ahead – of industry trends.

Malta’s Film Commissioner Mr. Peter Busuttil held several meetings on the margins of the Berlinale with production companies based throughout the world. Many of the meetings were hosted by the Embassy of Malta to Germany, which served as a base for the Film Commission’s activities. The Embassy worked closely with the Film Commission to ensure a busy and successful week in Berlin.

The Ambassador of Malta to Germany, Mr. Karl Xuereb, who attended some of the meetings, stated that the Embassy would continue this successful collaboration with the Malta Film Commission in promoting Malta as an ideal film location in Germany. Over the last two years the Embassy has been engaged in facilitating contacts not only with film production companies but also with the European Film Academy based in Berlin, which had chosen Malta to host the European Film Awards Ceremony in 2012.

A press round table organised by the Embassy and Malta Enterprise also served to highlight Malta’s advantages as a destination for film productions and as a result an article on Malta as an attractive location for the film industry appeared in the German film magazine Filmecho/Filmwoche.

The Berlinale is one of the most important events in the international film industry with 300,000 tickets sold, 20,000 professional visitors from 130 countries, 400 screened films and 4,000 journalists. It is also a source of inspiration for the global film community: film programmes, workshops and panel discussions, joint projects with other social and cultural actors offer endless possibilities for creative interaction and business.

The Malta Film Commission is a government body charged with the promotion, development and support of the film-servicing industry in Malta. Its aim is to facilitate the production of films in the country, encourage the growth of Malta’s own film industry and market the locations, facilities, skills, talent and expertise available in Malta to international audiovisual production companies.