Captain Phillips Film Still - H 2013
Sony PicturesLONDON — The government of Malta is ramping up its cash rebate system in an attempt to keep it on the map as a location destination for film and TV productions.
The Mediterranean island nation said Wednesday that the rebates on productions shooting there are being boosted to 25 percent, with a further 2 percent up for grabs should there be a Maltese cultural element.
PHOTOS: 25 of the Most Anticipated Foreign Films of 2014
The cash rebate system, which is subject to state aid approval from the European Commission, will also be broadened to include international TV series, miniseries and animation projects.
Mirroring the tax credit system in the U.K., projects will have to pass a cultural test that takes into account the use of local or European talent, storyline, settings and other criteria.
The Maltese cashback system is available for above- and below-the-line spend and is capped at 50 percent of the production budget. Postproduction also can be claimed as part of the qualifying budget up to $180,000 (€150,000).
Malta has stood in for European and Middle Eastern countries in a plethora of films in its long history as a shooting destination.
Among others, the island has played host to such productions as Ridley Scott‘s Gladiator, Brad Pitt starrer World War Z and Captain Phillips, directed by Paul Greengrass and starring Tom Hanks.
