The Malta Film Commission has announced a new, ambitious 40% cash-rebate programme. The fresh incentive for audiovisual productions includes a new hybrid above-the-line cap. Eligible above-the-line expenditures will now be capped at either €1 million or 30% of total Maltese eligible spend, whichever is higher.

From now on, the cash-rebate programme will also be open to all international crews. Labour costs for below-the-line expenditures will no longer be limited to EU/EEA/UK nationals, making the benefit applicable to all nationalities.

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Defined as “bolder and better”, the initiative is open to qualifying companies (described as “the ultimate beneficiary and the entity responsible for all activities involved in making a qualifying production and having access to full financial information for the total production worldwide”) producing content in one of the eligible formats – feature films, TV productions (“films, series or mini-series, including pilots”), creative documentaries, reality programmes, game shows and shorts.

The minimum spend must be €100,000 in Malta, with an overall budget exceeding €200,000. The limits applicable to “difficult audiovisual works” (typically, low-budget productions with limited distribution prospects, experimental works and/or those dealing with a very high level of creative risk) are a minimum spend in Malta of €50,000 with an overall budget exceeding €100,000.

Foreign qualifying outfits should also engage with an “Opportunity for All” (OFA)-registered production service company to serve as the production coordinator in the case of live-action projects, and/or avail themselves of the services of an OFA-registered VFX/animation/post-production firm.

Commenting on the new programme, Malta film commissioner Johann Grech said: “We’ve just got bolder and better. Malta’s strong 40% cash-rebate incentive for audiovisual productions has taken another bold step forward. We are determined to create more opportunities which will lead to careers, in order to build a better and sustainable filming industry.”

Malta thus becomes the third European country to offer a 40% cash rebate, along with Italy and Greece.

The official guidelines can be accessed here.