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GREECE perfect summer To finally have an incentive in place will be welldeserved for Greece’s hardworking labour pool who, when given the opportunity, can produce some exemplary work. Markenfilm Berlin’s recent spot for Beck’s was able to capture the sense of a wild and wonderful summer in a range of locations throughout Greece with servicing provided by Avion Films. Frederik Poppenk, producer at Markenfilm Berlin explained: “The challenge was to find the right country where we could find a beautiful rooftop with an urban feel as well as stunning sea and nature scenery. We wanted to shoot somewhere that felt special and that hasn’t been seen as a film location a hundred times before like Barcelona. In Greece we found the perfect mix of urban and natural scenery that was needed for our commercial.”
With its first production incentive finally here, Greece will soon become one of the most affordable locations in southeast europe. What better time to scout its islands and urban areas for your next project?
t’s been a tough time for Greece’s production industry. In late 2017, the country lost out on hosting the sequel for Phillippa Loyd’s now cult-classic, Mamma Mia, with the production opting for Croatia instead. Losing the production to Croatia, a decision fuelled by tax incentives, was a huge setback given that the narrative for Mamma Mia has become synonymous with the Greek island of Skopelos and it has had a major effect on film tourism in the country.
Not one to be beaten by such events however, Greece’s government has invested in a dedicated film incentive scheme which offers a “To finally have 25% cash rebate. The incentive has an incenTive been allocated EUR450 million in place is for the next six years, translating to an annual fund of EUR75 million. well deserved Eligible productions include for greece’s feature films, documentaries, hardworking television series, animated projects labour pool.” and video games. In order to access the incentive, productions must meet a minimum spend of EUR100,000. Anything above EUR5 million will be ineligible but there is no minimum budget required for feature films and TV series.
lifestyle
Chances are if you’re in Greece, you’ll be passing through Athens – and if you are in Athens with some time on your hands, you’ll automatically head to the Acropolis. If so, a highly recommended companion trip is a visit to the Acropolis Museum – a truly world class, modern exhibition space that tells the story of Ancient Greece through its archaeological remains. The air-conditioned building is also a very welcome respite from the summer heat, while there are fabulous views of the Parthenon (featured above in The Two Faces of January) too. You can continue basking in the views over dinner as well. GB Roof Garden’s dining terrace overlooks the Acropolis, which is lit up at night – and the food is highly rated too. Images: LoCCCations - www.locccations.com, © Studiocanal & © James Gardiner.
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