Malta/ 5.3 Sector specific legislation  

5.3.6 Film, video and photography

There are no film, video or photography laws in place. Malta offers a film-service industry but there is no incentive for the production of local material. The government has taken steps to create a Malta Film Commission (MFC) in order to encourage the film-service industry, by way of facilitating permits and offering incentives in the form of production rebates of up to 20%.

With regards to the classification of films, Article 45 states that the classifiers shall report to the Commissioner of Police "whether having regard, in their discretion, to public morality, decency or propriety, or to the public interest, the film to which the application refers may or may not be passed for exhibition with or without any suppressed parts, and shall classify such film into one of the following six categories, namely:

• "U" - UNIVERSAL. Suitable for all;
• "PG" - PARENTAL GUIDANCE;
• "12" - Suitable only for persons of twelve years and over;
• "14" - Suitable only for persons of fourteen years and over;
• "16" - Suitable only for persons of sixteen years and over; and
• "18" - Suitable only for persons of eighteen years and over."

In addition, new legislation needs to address the reduction of tariff for the holding licence for satellite communications for industrial purposes and the new tax incentives for the audiovisual sector.

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