Malta has increased its filming rebate to 25% and will incentivise productions to film the country as itself. The Mediterranean island nation wants to attract more shoots like Captain Phillips, but producers may be eligible for an additional 2% rebate for stories set in Malta.
Some two decades ago productions filming overseas - particularly in developing countries or difficult destinations - would commonly dispatch their production manager or producer well in advance of the prep start to establish government contacts and set up a bank account and payroll.
A filming incentive deal helped secure new AMC TV war drama Turn for a location shoot in Virginia, rather than Georgia. The series stars British actor Jamie Bell and follows the spy ring that helped George Washington win America’s Revolutionary War in the late 18th Century.
Paul Greengrass’ modern piracy tale Captain Phillips and Steve McQueen’s historical drama 12 Years a Slave are among the Best Picture nominees for the 86th Academy Awards. David O Russell’s Massachusetts-filmed American Hustle is the overall front-runner with ten nominations.
A new historical miniseries focussing on the legendary general Hannibal Barca could consider filming locations in North Africa or the Mediterranean. Oscar-winning actress Halle Berry is producing the project with History Channel, which based its first scripted drama Vikings in Ireland.
Tom Hanks and director Paul Greengrass filmed Malta and the military facilities of Virginia in the US for modern piracy drama Captain Phillips. The movie tells the true story of Captain Richard Phillips, whose merchant ship the Maersk Alabama was hijacked by Somali pirates in 2009.
The Malta Film Commission is aiming to boost local film crew numbers by inviting learning institutions to submit training services bids under a tender process. Training will be carried out as part of the European Social Fund Project ‘Re-skilling of workers for the Local Film Industry’.
Brad Pitt’s zombie drama World War Z shot extensively across UK filming locations and turned Glasgow into Philadelphia for an urban shoot of unprecedented scale. The production also used Malta as a double for Israel and turned a helicopter ship into US aircraft carrier the Harry S Truman.