Malta

USEFUL INFORMATION FOR PRODUCERS  FILMING IN MALTA

Interesting facts are available from the World Factbook  

Watch a short video about filming in the Maltese Islands

For over 50 years filmmakers have been attracted to film in Malta due to the country's rich history, culture and the wealth of location potential that the Maltese islands offer. Besides, costs are relatively low when compared to many other European cities. In an interview Guy Ritchie gave to The Times of Malta, the film-maker was quoted as saying:  "Malta is inexpensive and the labour is good. Not only that, the locals are just plain fun. It's been a case of home away from home here"

FLIGHTS

There are daily flight connections from major European cities.  Most direct and frequent connections (with one or more flights each day) are from London, Rome and Frankfurt.

CLIMATE

In Brief: Mediterranean; Mild, rainy winters; Hot, dry summers.

The climate in Malta is generally warm. Rainfall is almost negligible between June and August, where the temperature at that period is the hottest ever averaging about 35 celcius (95F). It does not snow in Malta. Below are monthly averages taken over a period of between 18 to 30 years:

GEOGRAPHY

The Maltese Islands consist of Malta, Gozo, Comino and two other uninhabited islands. They are situated in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea 93 km from Sicily and 290 km from North Africa. The total area is 316 square kilometres (Malta 246, Gozo 67, Comino 2.7). The longest distance in Malta from the south-east to north-west is about 27 km and the longest distance at its width is 14.5km in an east-westerly direction. The corresponding figures for Gozo are 14.5 km and 7.2 km. The length of the shoreline round Malta is 137 km and round Gozo is 43 km.

Click here for a closer look at the Maltese islands

ELECTRICITY

240 volts-single phase-50 cycles. Three phase is also available in many areas.

POLITICS / EU

Malta is a democratic country and the Nationalist Party (PN) is currently in government.  Malta's electorate is finely divided between PN supporters and the opposition known as the Malta Labour Party (MLP).  Elections are held every five years.  Malta has become a full member of the European Union on May 1st, 2004.  Film insurers have always regarded the country as politically very stable.

BACKGROUND

Great Britain formally acquired possession of Malta in 1814. The island staunchly supported the UK through both World Wars and remained in the Commonwealth when it became independent in 1964. A decade later Malta became a republic. Since about the mid-1980s, the island has transformed itself into a freight transshipment point, a financial center, and a tourist destination.

LANGUAGE

The official languages are Maltese and English. Almost all Maltese speak English. Maltese is a semitic language written in the Roman script, also comprising of a vast number of words of Italian, French and English origin. Italian is also widely spoken.  The English language is considered to be a great asset by producers who film in Malta.

FUEL REFILLING STATIONS

There are numerous fuel stations open generally between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. from Monday and Saturday. Only a rare few are open on Sundays, a list of which is published in the local newspapers. When closed, most refilling stations have automated machines operating till midnight.

CREDIT CARDS/CHEQUES

Visa, MasterCard, Eurocheque and other major credit cards are excepted at most leading shops, hotels and restaurants.

CIGARETTES

The cost of 20 per packet is about Lm1.50, USD$4.50, £2.50. Most international brands can be found in Malta. As of April 1st 2004 smoking will be banned from many public places which do not have designated smoking areas.

NIGHTLIFE

Paceville in St. Julians is Malta's Las Vegas.  But on a much smaller scale of course! In Paceville you shall find a good number of night-clubs, pubs, restaurants and also a Casino.

EMERGENCY

112 is a freephone for all types of emergencies (Police, Ambulance, Fire).

MEDICAL CARE

Malta enjoys a fairly good standard of health care. The General Hospital in Malta is the brand new Matter Dei and there are government health clinics in various towns. There are also a couple of private hospitals on the island.  Chemists are open during shop regular hours and one in each town or village is generally open on Sunday mornings. A list of chemists open on Sundays is published in the local newspapers.

MONEY

The local money is the EURO, adopted since January 2008.

POPULATION

The total population of the Maltese islands is around 385,000 habitants. Malta's habitants alone total approximately 350,000. Comino has only four habitants with the exception of hotel staff and guests.

RELIGION

Malta is very Roman Catholic and one may interestingly note the great number of churches, large and small, on the island. There are more than 300 churches in Malta and Gozo many of which date to the 16th century and have great historical significance. The Maltese Constitution guarantees freedom of worship.There are also churches belonging to various other religious denominations.

ROAD TRAFFIC

The greatest speciality is the Roundabout. The vehicle already engaged at the Roundabout has priority. However, most Maltese people ignore road regulations. So be careful - accidents are very frequent in Malta! Should you be unfortunate to have an accident, do not move the car before the police arrive. Insurance companies may not be very co-operative should you do otherwise.

SHOPS

Shops are usually open between the hours of 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. with a three or four hour lunch break normally starting from around 12.30 p.m. Shops are generally not open on Sundays and Public Holidays, except for Baystreet shops in St. Julians which remain open on Sundays. The main shopping centre is in the city, Valletta, particularly in the main street called Republic Street. Other shopping areas can be found at Sliema too. However, there are a small number of shops in many towns and villages. There are open air markets once a week in most towns and villages. The largest is the Valletta market on Sunday mornings. Also interesting is the fish market at Marsaxlokk also held on Sundays.

TAXIS

Taxis can be identified by their all-white livery and are all fitted with meters.     Chauffer-driven vehicles controlled from a garage outlet have no "taxi" sign and are usually cheaper than white taxis.

TELEPHONE COMMUNICATIONS

Overseas calls may be made to all parts of the world. The dialing code for outgoing overseas calls from Malta is "00" followed by the countries' code. Malta's international code is "356". The two mobile phone systems utilise a GSM network. Malta has international roaming agreements with many European countries for the use of GSM technology phones.

TELEVISION & RADIO

There are six cable and terrestrial television stations on the island. Television Malta (TVM) is the national station managed by the Public Broadcasting Services Ltd. The station broadcasts locally-made programmes in Maltese whilst foreign films and documentaries are generally broadcast in English. The advertising market does not support enough all stations' programming  and as a result there are several local programmes which are produced on shoestring budgets. This is rather obvious in the quality of local programming screened on the airwaves. Television airwaves from Italy are received fairly well in the Maltese islands, providing many households with over 12 Italian stations. Cable TV has also been introduced in the early nineties and this provides a wide range of stations from Europe and North America. There are 19 radio stations, most of which are privately owned.

TIME

Malta time is identical to Central Europe Time which is one hour ahead of GMT in winter and two hours ahead in summer; thus, normally still one hour ahead of UK which is an hour ahead of G.M.T. during summertime. Summer time commences on the third Sunday in March and lasts till the third Sunday in September.

VACCINATION

No sort of vaccination is required for entry to the Maltese islands.

VEHICLES

In Malta, one can easily find cars of all ages in various conditions coming mainly from Britain, France, Japan and Korea. The American car model Ford also exists in great abundance.  The typically larger American cars are however not available on the island (accept from collectors) and drivers would have some difficulty getting them through certain narrow streets or tight corners which are so characteristic of the Maltese islands.  Trucks of 40ft in length are not commercially viable on the island. Interesting to note are the old yellow public buses, many of which are still functioning - and running.  Trains and subways do not exist in Malta.

WILD ANIMALS

The most notable "wild" animals in Malta are snakes which are sometimes found in the countryside and which are not poisonous, and rabbits which make the Maltese dish speciality!

Interesting facts are available from the World Factbook  

Watch a short video about filming in the Maltese Islands