Greece arrived at the Cannes Film Festival buoyed by a string of recent international shoots — like Christopher Nolan’s “The Odyssey” in the Peloponnese and “The Riders,” the Brad Pitt-led A24 title that filmed on the island of Hydra and across mainland Greece earlier this year –- as officials made the case that the country’s “Greece on Screen” audiovisual strategy is translating into sustained momentum.
The Variety Global Conversations panel at Cannes brought together Leonidas Christopoulos, CEO of the Hellenic Film and Visual Center (Ecomed); Orestis Andreadakis, artistic director of the Thessaloniki International Film Festival and the Thessaloniki International Documentary Festival; film producer Konstantina Stavrianou; and Edouardos Kalimeris, producer at Argonauts Productions.
“Greece on Screen” is the government-approved, five-year action plan running from 2026-2030 that’s backed by a baseline budget of €800 million ($927 million). Christopoulos said the number could rise to €1 billion ($1.15 billion) depending on how the program develops. More than €700 million ($811 million) is directed to its first pillar, which covers the existing 40% cash rebate for international productions, a new loan guarantee program for Greek producers and the simplification of funding procedures. Further pillars cover cultural diplomacy, festival support and investment in education, training, technology and innovation.
