Greece Launches New Industry Org, Overhauls Rebate Scheme to Make Booming Mediterranean Biz More Sustainable
variety.comChristopher Vourlias A delegation of Greek officials arrived in Cannes this week to announce the launch of a new government body, Creative Greece, that will oversee all audiovisual production in the Mediterranean nation.
They’ll also look to reassure foreign producers and investors that the country’s wildly successful cash-back program remains on track, after the Greek government announced last week it was pressing pause on new rebate applications until the fall.
The new organization, officially known as the Hellenic Film and Audiovisual Center, brings together the Greek Film Center, formerly responsible for domestic production, and the National Center of Audiovisual Media and Communication (EKOME), the body that manages the country’s 40% cash rebate scheme.
The merger is designed to streamline the growing Greek biz by uniting its various arms under a single banner. The move is part of a larger shake-up that includes a dramatic overhaul to the country’s incentive program, which has helped Greece lure international productions, including Pablo Larrain’s Maria Callas biopic “Maria,” starring Angelina Jolie, and Rian Johnson’s Netflix blockbuster “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery.” The Greek government announced last week it’s suspending new applications to the incentive scheme until Oct.
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