“In these eight years, two hundred productions were filmed with a Malta budget spent of €730 million. Among them, two films by Ridley Scott. And two films from the Jurassic World franchise.

“Through the investment we did in the film industry, our country did better. Government finances did better. The Government generated four times more than it spent. These are the facts. We created opportunities for many, not just for the few. From 300 Maltese crew working for a very limited time until 8 years ago, today we have more than 1,800 Maltese crew, with the majority working all-year round in the film industry. And when you compare these 8 years with the previous 13 years, we succeeded in creating five times more jobs for Maltese and Gozitans. We supported more than 15,000 jobs in our country.”

Looking to the future he said: “With our Malta Film Studios project which includes the first global Land–Sea Super Stage we will consolidate our dream of creating a world-class film industry in Malta.”

To hear the full speech of Commissioner Grech click HERE