29-08-2016

PRODUCTION: Netflix in Talks to Shoot in Malta

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    Sindbad series (2012) Sindbad series (2012) credit: www.maltatoday.com.mt

    VALLETTA: The film commissioner for Malta, Engelbert Grech, has announced that Netflix is in talks with the Commission to film parts of a series in Malta. Although Grech revealed no details on the Netflix series, he indicated that a further announcement on the deal can be expected in mid-September 2016.

    Although mainly known for the servicing of feature films, Malta has played host to various international television series and mini-series over recent years, with notable examples being You, Me and the Apocalypse (Working Title, Sky, NBC) in 2015, The Dovekeepers (LightWorkers Media, CBS) also in 2015, Game of Thrones (HBO) in 2013 and Sinbad (Impossible Pictures, BBC, Canal+) in 2012.

    The rising popularity of serialised fiction on video streaming services, like Netflix, offers increased hope for the film servicing industry in Malta, which depends on a fairly continuous stream of work.

    Jean Pierre Borg, PR and marketing executive with the Malta Film Commission, asserts that “the commission chases and explores every opportunity of bringing production work to Malta. A series like Sinbad, which filmed in Malta for 11 months, could offer a great scope of employment for substantial numbers of local crew. When a production is here for the long term, accommodation costs and per diems quickly tip the balance in favour of a larger cohort of Maltese craftspersons and technicians. Even if only a handful of episodes is filmed here, when big names are involved, that could lead to repeated work in the future. Although not through a series, Brad Pitt and Kevin Reynolds are prime examples of Malta’s allure as a production destination.”