Athens sets its sights on becoming an attractive filmmaking destination

The municipality has signed a landmark cooperation agreement with several organisations which will bolster their joint efforts in achieving the goal

With the aim of promoting Athens as a film destination and attracting audiovisual producers, the Athens Film Office (AFO) of the Municipality of Athens and the Hellenic Cinema Center (EKK) are laying the foundations for a strategic partnership that will strengthen the city's position in the international filmmaking scene.

A different type of cultural venture

In the memorandum of cooperation signed earlier in December, between the Development and Tourism Promotion Company of the Municipality of Athens (EATA) (as the implementing body of the Athens Film Office) and the Hellenic Film Center (through the Hellenic Film Commission), the two sides agreed on the following joint actions:

• The design and organization of training programs in collaboration with other private and public bodies in the field of cinema
• To expand a possible joint presence in international exhibitions and festivals.
• Joint promotional actions in international and domestic Media.
• The planning of new actions aimed at expanding the film market and cultivating cinematic interest, especially in a new audience.
• Cooperation for the simplification of the process of issuing filming licenses in areas under the jurisdiction of the Municipality of Athens.

The Athens Film Office, established by the Municipality of Athens in March 2020, is the Office for the Service and Attraction of Film Producers and its main responsibilities include facilitating audiovisual producers, as well as collaborating with other film institutions to promote it. city ​​abroad, through participation in film festivals and exhibitions.

"The cooperation between the Athens Film Office and the Hellenic Cinema Center brings us closer to achieving our strategic goals: To strengthen the local economy and competitiveness, to upgrade the tourism product and to effectively promote Athens abroad. The memorandum of cooperation between EATA and EKK will be a valuable basis for the city to become a film destination abroad and will strengthen the modern and growing domestic industry of audiovisual producers ", emphasizes Melina Daskalaki, President of the Development and Tourism Company of the Municipality of Athens (EATA).

The Hellenic Cinema Centre, as the main body for the exercise of film policy, which aims at the protection and development of film production and Art in Greece, has been supporting the attraction and service of foreign producers in Greece for more than ten years through the Hellenic Film Commission.

As part of the cooperation between the two organizations, a series of familiarization trips will be launched within the next year with the aim of effectively promoting the city as a cinematic destination to the representatives of international audiovisual producers.