Film producer Rebecca Anastasi believes joining Eurimages “heralds a new stage” in Malta’s film history by sending the message to local filmmakers’ European partners that the Maltese industry is diversifying, opening possibilities for the coproduction of Maltese film.

Crucially, membership in Eurimages has the potential to position Maltese producers as “equal financial and creative partners” – a status that has proven elusive despite the country’s established film services sector.

Ms Anastasi has worked in Malta’s film industry for over two decades, contributing to projects produced for the BBC, Sky and HBO, among others. She was the delegate producer for Luzzu, by Alex Camilleri – the only Maltese film to have ever premiered at the Sundance Film Festival – and most recently served as a co-producer on Mr Camilleri’s follow-up feature film, Żejtune.

She believes the development, spearheaded by the Government through the Arts Council Malta (ACM), can precipitate “a shift in mentality of vital importance.”

She says: “Traditionally – and this has, of course, been changing over the past few years – many filmmakers and local film producers have taken a more insular view of the filmmaking process, looking for local funding for our Maltese stories and seeking to distribute in local cinemas.

“This was partly due to the very low level of funding and resources domestic filmmakers have, until recently, had at their disposal – so low, indeed, that it has been difficult to unlock the funds for international collaboration. However, we operate in a tiny market and the only way to survive in the long term is to coproduce and export our work.”

In other words, “coproduction has to become the kernel on which we continue to build our film slate. We need to move beyond the borders of this country.”

Eurimages, she continues, can be a key driver in just that direction. The film fund, with an annual budget of €27.5 million, encourages cooperation between member European states by supporting European coproductions.

“To apply for Eurimages funding, a producer must do so in coproduction with other producers from other member states,” explains Ms Anastasi. “What this means is that Maltese film producers now have the possibility of working in conjunction with producers from other member states to apply for Eurimages funding together.

Essentially, it opens up another – crucial – source of funding for Maltese producers and gives Maltese producers a very solid basis from which to enter into coproduction with other European companies.

“This also opens doors in terms of internationalising Maltese film and audio-visual work since if a Maltese producer enters into coproduction with another member state, then this opens up distribution possibilities in that member state.”

For local filmmakers and producers, Eurimages provides another avenue through which to source funding and collaboration for their film project. Films are notoriously expensive to make, and most European film is financed through public funding, sourced both on the local level – such as with the ACM’s Screen Support Scheme – or pan-European programmes like Eurimages.

The money needed to develop, produce, and distribute a film are quite substantial, says Ms Anastasi, citing figures from the European Audiovisual Observatory that put the median film budget of a film made in a small market, such as Malta, at €900,000. In mid-sized markets, it rises to €1.9 million, while making a film in places like France or Germany has a median cost of €2.7 million.

“Of course, at the moment, it’s still difficult for a Maltese producer to raise €900,000 for their films. Yet, membership to Eurimages has the potential to allow producers to add another source of finance to their financial plan,” she says.

Other advantages include potential access to diverse talent that may not be easily found in Malta, and allowing local filmmakers to increase their portfolio by becoming minority coproducers for projects which don’t originate in Malta.

“In other words, the goal here is putting Maltese filmmakers and producers on the map, not only in terms of what services, logistics and locations we can provide, but as solid and accountable creative partners,” continues Ms Anastasi.

“This will, ultimately, attract more people to the field, boost jobs, and could open up more streams of revenue.”

Yet, the producer still urges caution: “Membership to Eurimages is far from a panacea to Maltese filmmakers’ struggles, of course. We have yet to see what this will mean in practice.

“We still have a long way to go in terms of getting our stories and talent ‘out there’, and there remain challenges ahead, but we’re moving in the right direction.”