Tender for Mediterrane Film Festival awarded after event was concluded

A multi-million-euro tender to organise the Mediterrane Film Festival was officially awarded on 3 July, after the festival and its associated gala event had concluded in June, an investigation by The Shift has revealed. 

The tender was opened on 8 April, with award criteria citing the “best price‑quality ratio” and an estimated cost of €3.2 million excluding VAT.

The tender’s opening date was a mere two months before the festival. Industry insiders questioned whether this process could ever have been genuine.

“You don’t issue a tender two months before a multi-million-euro festival unless you already know who’s getting it — and unless much of the work is already underway,” one events professional told The Shift. “The logistics of a gala alone — venue setup, transport, catering, invitations — demand months of planning, never mind the long list of side events.”

The festival was held between 21 and 29 June.

The awarded contract went to Greatt Ltd, owned by former NET TV chief Anton Attard and former PN official Mark Grech (‘il‑Guru’). The company, already a beneficiary of millions of euro in funding for local reality‑TV productions under the film commissioner’s purview, has come under fresh scrutiny.

This controversy is magnified by revelations from The Shift’s exposé into Film Commissioner Johann Grech’s guest list for the accompanying Golden Bee Awards gala.  The list showed heavy representation from Labour Party operatives and government figures, with a conspicuous absence of most Cabinet members and Opposition MPs, all of whom chose to distance themselves from the extravagance. 

Among those in attendance were luxury yacht‐shuttled guests, lavish French wines and Premier Cru, imported delicacies, and international “bloggers” flown in and accommodated at five‑star hotels — all at taxpayer expense. Even Russell Crowe was reportedly invited with his entire family and arrived via private plane.

Originally projected at €3.2 million, final costs are understood to have significantly exceeded that figure.

Now, questions loom large over procurement oversight: How could such a tender be awarded after the festival had already taken place — unless the decision was effectively predetermined?

How transparent was the process when the organisation of a state-funded cultural showcase devolved into what appears to be a high‑profile political showcase with Johann Grech centre-stage?