Greece

Greece has hosted several high-profile international productions, including Swimming Home, an adaptation of Deborah Levy’s 2011 novel, written and directed by debut UK filmmaker Justin Anderson. The UK-Netherlands-Greece co-production was produced by Andy Starke of Anti-Worlds, Emily Morgan of Quiddity Films and Giorgos Karnavas of Greece’s Heretic. 

Co-producers were Paula Linhares and Marcos Tellechea of Brazil’s Reagent Media and Leontine Petit and Erik Glijnis of Dutch outfit Lemming Film. “We had a great time working with the fantastic crew, facilities and locations that Heretic helped pull together — all with the upside of the 40% rebate,” says Morgan, who notes Heretic played an essential role in helping mount the production. “They had also done How To Have Sex and Hot Milk recently, so are very well versed in working with British [productions].” 

Hot Milk, the directing debut of UK writer Rebecca Lenkiewicz for Christine Langan’s Bonnie Productions, Film4 and HanWay Films, is based on another novel by Levy and is in post. 

Heretic also helped bring Ruben Östlund’s Triangle Of Sadness to the big screen and played a major role in the decision by its producers and Östlund to carry out most of the filming on the Greek island of Evia. Upcoming high-end TV series due to shoot in Greece include Amazon MGM Studios and The Wonder Project show House Of David, in the prefecture of Attica and the Peloponnese; psychological thriller series Malice, directed by Mike Barker and starring David Duchovny for Prime Video on the island of Paros and Antiparos in Cyclades, Athens and Piraeus; and thriller Kabul in the Attica region.

Recent NaF+ productions filmed in Greece include "Cartes Postales," a series of 12 mini films connected in one TV series shot in mythical Crete, based on the best-selling novel by award-winning author Victoria Hislop, and "One August Night," the sequel to Hislop’s successful TV series "The Island." 

In 2024, Filmiki worked as co-producer on feature films such as Handling The Undead, When We Were Sisters, and Maya And Samar.

The Mediterranean climate, diverse locations and landscapes help lure international productions. Greece offers everything from snow-capped Mount Olympus to a volcano on Nisyros, the Minoan palace of Knossos on Crete to the Palace of the Grand Master of the Knights in Rhodes. 

There is even a desert on Lemnos, while many Greek locations can double for other countries. Hellenic Film Commission, a directorate of the Greek Film Centre, supports international audiovisual productions by connecting producers with the local industry and the regional film offices, providing guidance on filming permits, incentives and locations. It also offers location-scouting financial support for projects looking to shoot in Greece. Ask early to avoid disappointment.

Many of Greece’s most popular and picturesque filming locations are just a few hours’ drive from the capital Athens. Many islands have their own airports and are easy to reach from the mainland by both sea and air. Greece is a four-hour flight from London and 10 hours from New York.

Greece offers so much variety — from medieval old towns to Minoan palaces; snow-capped Mount Olympus to the volcano on Nisyros; the picture-perfect Cyclades islands in the Aegean Sea to the forests and lakes of the mainland. There is even a desert on the island of Lemnos, while the striking mountainous region in northern Greece is particularly popular with action movies and thrillers. 

Aside from historical and natural locations, there are many modern sites open to filming. Highlights include the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center in Athens, which houses the national opera, national library and Stavros Niarchos Park. Upscale neighbourhoods can also stand in for Italy or France, and nothing is too far from a pristine beach. 

Producers are strongly advised to apply at the competent authorities of the Ministry of Culture and Sports at least one month prior to filming. Additionally, the expertise of Greek producers and location managers is needed to handle these permits.

"Lesser-known islands such as Kythnos, Serifos, Koufonisia, Karpathos, Skopelos, and Alonisos are particularly production-friendly and eager to support film crews," says Need-A-Fixer. Greece’s low living costs mean more room in your budget for production needs. "With low crime rates and political stability, Greece is one of the safest countries for filming. Your crew and equipment will be secure, allowing you to focus on creating stunning content," they add. 

Filmiki cite the great climate conditions (255 sunny days per year) alongside experienced multilingual film professionals and crews, and a variety in multicultural and multilingual casting as selling points for filming in Greece.

The Greek Film Centre offers production support and access to Kapa Studios in Athens, plus a network of service companies throughout the country. Kapa has 10 soundstages (between 400 and 1,600 square metres), while Nu Boyana Studios has opened a facility in Thessaloniki. 

Three hours by car from the Bulgarian capital Sofia, Nu Boyana Hellenic in Thessaloniki is ideally located for the transfer of equipment from the original Nu Boyana facility, and the city’s international airport makes it easy to bring in talent. The growing number of productions shooting across Greece means there are good local crews available to work on projects of all sizes.

There are a wealth of production service companies to choose from, such as FILMIKI and Need-A-Fixer amongst others. 

Need-A-Fixer's crews are "highly skilled, English-speaking professionals. Our local crew and talent are top-notch yet come at a lower cost compared to other European countries, making Greece a budget-friendly choice for high-quality production," they add.

Athens-based Filmiki is a full-service production house in business for 36 years, bringing a wide range of international content to life. "If there is a good story with a meaningful vision behind it, we‘ll find a way to make it happen," they say, and are "cost efficient and flexible on all types of commercials, feature films, documentaries, tv programs and events."

Size matters

Many of Greece’s most popular and picturesque filming locations are just a few hours’ drive from capital Athens. Many islands have their own airports and are easy to reach from the mainland by both sea and air. Greece is a four-hour flight from London and 10 hours from New York.

Greece is a member of the European Union and a participant in the Schengen Agreement. Its currency is the euro.