Da Vinci Code set to join Maltese influx

The Malta Film Commission Act, which came into force on July 15, has already attracted a raft of high-profile international films to the island, led by Steven Spielberg’s Munich and now a confirmed one-week shoot for The Da Vinci Code this November.

Under the terms of the Act, the Malta Film Commission is empowered to grant fiscal and financial incentives to the industry. Since the measures were first promoted in February, one production has already filmed in Malta, with two currently shooting and three more confirmed for later this year..

The most high-profile title to benefit to date is Steven Spielberg’s Munich, about the aftermath of the killings of 11 Israeli athletes at the 1972 Olympics in Munich. Scheduled for release by Universal Pictures on December 23 this year, Munich will shoot in Malta for more than 5 weeks, after which the production will move to Hungary and New York. Various locations around the islands are being used by the production and Malta will be doubling for eight Mediterranean countries..

Meanwhile, it has now been confirmed that The Da Vinci Code, the film adaptation of Dan Brown’s best-selling novel directed by Ron Howard, will shoot on the island for a week in November..

Other titles receiving Malta Film Commission backing include docu-drama Blackbeard, produced by Dangerous Films for BBC, National Geographic, Tel France and ProSieben; and German independent feature film Godspeed produced by Universum Film, Orange Pictures and Shotgun Pictures.

The main incentive for foreign producers looking to set up shop on the island is a cash grant given to qualifying productions on the portion of eligible expenditure spent in Malta. Up to 20% of this expenditure could be rebated to a qualifying production company..

A second incentive offers investment credits and rebates to companies offering services to the Maltese industry, whether they’re based in Malta or abroad..

The relevant regulations for the incentives are currently being finalised. However feature film and television productions, mini-series, animation and documentaries that started filming in Malta after January 1, 2005 are all eligible for the incentives.

Author Geoffrey Macnab. Source Screen Intl.