Greece
Greece is blessed with a long architectural history dating back thousands of years to the Bronze Age, through to Ancient, Medieval, and Modern Greece.
Greece’s natural landscape is just as varied as its architectural heritage with its idyllic beaches, snowy mountain ranges, wine-producing valleys, lush forests, sand dunes, caves, gorges, lakes, rivers, and national parks.
International shipping is Greece’s largest industry. Agricultural film locations include vast stretches of olive orchards, vineyards, cotton, pistachios, rice, figs, almonds, and tomato fields. The country also has marble quarries.
The picturesque whitewashed towns with blue-domed churches, black and white sand beaches and beautiful azure seas make the Greek Islands perhaps Greece’s most sought after film destination.
Cost & Rebates
Greece trades in the Euro. Greece is considered to be a relatively expensive place to shoot, however there are ways to film low budget projects, particularly if the projects are small and shoot outside of the centre of Athens. Filming on the islands adds to travel costs as most gear and crew needs to be brought in.
Greece offers a 40% cash rebate for qualifying productions.
When To Shoot
Greece has a wide range of microclimates and local variations. Generally speaking Greece has a typical Mediterranean climate with plenty of sunshine, mild temperatures and little rainfall. Winter is from February to March and sees short, heavy showers. The mountains in the north get snowfall and the islands in the south experience a mild winter. April to October are hot with heat waves common in July and August especially in Athens. The height of the summer has 14 hours of daylight.
Visa Information
Greece is a Schengen Area member state. Entry is subject to regulations from country of origin. Visiting US film crews can enter visa-free for a period of up to 90 days. Our Greek fixer / service company can provide letters of invitation if required. Contact your local Greek embassy or representative for more information.
Cast, Crew & Equipment
Greece has a small but good pool of directors, directors of photography and stills photographers. There is a good depth of English speaking key crew experienced in servicing all types of productions. Greece’s close proximity to other major European production centres allows easy access to those technical and creative crews should you ever need to look further. Talent. Greece offers mainly Greek looks with some Asian, African, and blonde looks available too. All other talent looks need to be brought in from abroad.
Greece has a range of standard and specialized camera, grip and lighting equipment available locally. For productions looking to bring in film equipment Greece is an ATA carnet country.