Cap. 478 Art. 4Functions of the Commission.

(1) The Commission shall not be an executive body and it shall not have any executive functions except for the function provided for in paragraph (j). The functions of the Commission shall be to:

(a) advise the Minister on policy matters relating to the promotion, development and support of the audiovisual and film servicing industry including, but not limited to, the introduction of fiscal, tax and other incentives;

(b) advise the Minister on how best to structure and integrate local resources, at both Government and Local Council levels, in order to facilitate the promotion of Malta as a location, ensuring that competitiveness and minimal bureaucracy are essential elements to be achieved;

(c) advise the Minister on the signing of any bilateral, multilateral or international treaty, convention or agreement that may encourage local participation in audiovisual productions and lead to further international collaboration in the audiovisual industry;

(d) advise the Minister in the development of a comprehensive skills training strategy which is flexible and responsive to industrial and technological change in collaboration with the audiovisual industry and other interested parties;

(e) advocate the educational importance of film and the role it plays in fostering citizenship, creativity and innovation, as well as to encourage and promote, for the benefit of the Maltese audiovisual industry, the study and appreciation of films and filmmaking and to support initiatives to promote media literacy and developing the links between literacy and film;

(f) support the development of opportunities for access to cinema history and heritage and the use of film history in understanding identity, representation, culture and creativity;

(g) encourage excellence and innovation particularly through the use of new digital technologies;

(h) generally promote Malta as a destination for the shooting of audiovisual works and for the setting up of audiovisual and film servicing enterprises;

(i) recommend to the Commissioner the adoption of measures aimed at ensuring that approved policies and initiatives are translated into concrete action plans;

(j) to determine the level of fiscal and other benefits in accordance with the provisions of Part V of this Act;

(k) generally assist the Commissioner in the exercise of his functions;

(l) to carry out any function as may from time to time be assigned to it by the Minister.

(2) The Minister may, from time to time, as he may deem appropriate, give in writing and publish such directives as regards the policies and plans of the Government to be adopted and followed by the Commission, and the Commission shall, as soon as practicable, adopt and follow such directives.