In recent years, Malta has become one of Europe's most popular film and television locations - dubbed "the Mediterranean's mini-Hollywood" by the London Times. The Maltese Islands - Malta, Gozo and Comino - have been home to Hollywood blockbusters such as Gladiator, U-571, The Count of Monte Cristo, Troy, Munich as well as prestigious dramas and sitcoms such as the BBC's Byron and ITV's Coronation Street. The islands' beautiful, unspoiled coastlines and breathtaking architecture have ‘doubled' for an amazing variety of locations on the big and small screens - from ancient Rome to 19th-century Marseille and 1960's Beirut. Steven Spielberg, Ridley Scott, Wolfgang Petersen, Guy Ritchie and other renowned directors, as well as a host of A-list celebrities such as Russell Crowe, Brad Pitt, Sharon Stone, Madonna and Sean Connery, all experienced Malta's movie making facilities and its many charms. The Malta Film Commission is a government body set up with the aim of assisting in the production of films in Malta and promoting the islands as a filming location. The MFC offers specific financial incentives in the form of cash rebates to audiovisual productions shooting on location in Malta. For more information contact the MFC directly. In addition, the Malta Tourism Authority also offers financial and logistical support to film and television productions who chose to film locally depicting 'Malta as Malta'. For details click here.