Johann Grech dumps David Walliams as annual multi-million party moves to Rinella

Film Commissioner Johann Grech has quietly ended his four-year association with British comedian David Walliams, dropping the controversial British television personality from this year’s Mediterrane Film Festival gala, which was held on Sunday evening at Fort Rinella.

Walliams, who had become the face of Grech’s annual taxpayer-funded film extravaganza since first being engaged in 2022, was conspicuously absent from this year’s closing ceremony. The Malta Film Commission has not explain his removal.

Grech – who has been repeatedly given carte blanche by Prime Minister Robert Abela to spend millions without any meaningful form of accountability – also shifted the festival’s traditional closing event from Fort Manoel to Fort Rinella, where hundreds of guests, many with no connection to the film industry, attended another lavish gala forming part of what has become one of the government’s most expensive annual events.

While Walliams disappeared from the programme, one regular fixture remained. Maltese tenor Joseph Calleja, whose career has been boosted by a steady stream of government funding, featured prominently during the closing ceremony, an appearance which has become an annual tradition.

Calleja’s repeated appearances, paid for by taxpayers, have also drawn attention because his representation is handled by Anton Attard, one of the owners of Great Company Ltd, the firm that once again secured the multi-million-euro contract to organise the Mediterrane Film Festival.

This year’s edition has again attracted controversy after the Department of Contracts recommended increasing the value of the tender by an unexplained €1 million following the general elections, taking the recommended contract value to €4.4 million despite Great Company’s financial offer being significantly lower.

Director General of Contracts Adrian Dalli refused to explain how the increase was justified. Questions continue to surround the overall cost of the festival, estimated at around €5 million annually, with Johann Grech continuing to refuse to publish an itemised breakdown of how taxpayers’ money is being spent.

Walliams’ quiet departure, which occurred after the comedian reportedly received hundreds  of thousands  in taxpayer-funded payments for his appearances over the years, comes following a series of controversies surrounding both the comedian and the festival itself.

The British presenter first appeared in Malta in 2022, when taxpayers paid him €120,000 to host the Malta Film Awards. The payment remained secret until it was eventually revealed through Freedom of Information requests.

Despite widespread criticism, Grech continued bringing Walliams back every year to host the Mediterrane Film Festival. However, the Film Commission consistently refused to disclose how much he was paid for his appearances in subsequent editions.

Last year, Walliams triggered fresh controversy after joking during the closing ceremony that anyone wanting to bring a blockbuster production to Malta only needed to “sleep with Johann”.

While Grech laughed off the remark from the stage, the joke caused considerable embarrassment within government and was criticised by senior Labour Party figures.

The festival itself has also come under increasing scrutiny.

The Malta Entertainment Industry and Arts Association (MEIA) publicly criticised the event for prioritising celebrity appearances and marketing over meaningful support for Malta’s film industry. While millions were once again spent this year on lavish galas, international guests and entertainment, local filmmakers were offered just €250 to screen their productions.

Procurement surrounding the festival has likewise raised repeated questions.

Last year’s festival contract was formally awarded only after the event had already concluded, prompting concerns over whether the procurement exercise had been genuine. This year’s procurement process has again attracted criticism following the unexplained increase in the recommended contract value and the continued reliance on a single contractor.

Meanwhile, Walliams’ own reputation has suffered a series of setbacks in the United Kingdom over the past year.

The comedian has faced fresh allegations over his conduct, lost his long-time publisher, HarperCollins, and seen public appearances cancelled amid growing controversy surrounding his career.

Following the last general elections, Johann Grech and the Film Commission have become the political responsibility of new culture Minister Malcolm Agius Galea.

In a brief video clip published on the festival’s social media, Agius Galea heaped praise on Grech’s work, despite the commission’s profligate spending on the festival.

“The Malta Film Commission holds the very important role of not only ensuring that it is implementing its vision for the future, but also to make sure nobody’s left out, so our team can continue strengthening this industry and continue placing Malta on the film industry’s international map,” the new culture minister said.