Where did the millions go? Film Commission’s direct orders ‘disappear’

Concerns have been raised regarding the accuracy of the legal declarations made by Film Commissioner Johann Grech, as several direct orders and tenders issued in 2024 appear to have been omitted from publication in the Government Gazette.

Grech refused to reply to questions by The Shift on whether all the direct orders issued by the Commission and paid by the Exchequer in 2024 have been declared according to public procurement rules.

Probed further on how he might have published just six direct orders in 2024, when it was well known that these actually amounted to many more, covering a budget of millions, the Film Commissioner remained silent.

According to the law, all government departments and agencies are required to publish a list of tenders, direct orders, and quotations they used to purchase goods and services with a value of over €5,000.

However, according to a list published by Minister Owen Bonnici’s Culture Ministry last August, in the 12 months of 2024, the Film Commission declared awarding only six direct orders. He also stated that his Commission did not obtain any services through a tender or quotation.

This information appears to be incomplete, considering that in that year, Grech spent more than €5 million in a weekend to organise the Mediterrane Film Festival. For the last edition in 2025, he invited hundreds of guests for a lavish dinner paid for by taxpayers.

While Grech and the culture minister have so far consistently refused to publish all the payments made for the 2023, 2024 and 2025 editions of the film festival, no information has been published in the government’s official gazette.

Among the six direct orders, according to Grech, issued in 2024 were over €31,000 for Midi, the owners of Manoel Island, for using the fort for the festival, and a €55,000 payment for PBS director and comedian Ray Calleja to act as artistic director.

He also claimed spending some €120,000 on a book nobody’s heard of and €25,000 to audit firm Grant Thornton for undefined “management and advisory services” for just three months.

No information was provided for direct orders given for a raft of other purchases, including setup, stage, lights, sound, catering, beverages, artists, flights, transportation, entertainment, and many other items. This is in addition to purchases made for the normal yearly cycle of the Film Commission.