Greece

Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey, an adaptation of Homer’s epic poem for Universal Pictures, landed in Greece to shoot this year. Nolan’s eighth century BC-set epic, which tells the story of Odysseus, king of Ithaca, and his dangerous journey home after the Trojan War, will access the country’s 40% tax rebate for international film and TV productions. It has also secured permits from the Greek ministry of culture to film at several key historical sites in the Peloponnese region, including Nestor’s Cave, Methoni Castle and Acrocorinth, a monolithic rock overlooking the ancient city of Corinth.

Strict preservation conditions are in place to protect the sites, but the willingness to facilitate Nolan’s project is a sign of Greece’s efforts to build on its ever-growing reputation as an international shooting destination.

Experienced UK producer Christine Langan landed in the territory to film Rebecca Lenkiewicz’s debut feature Hot Milk, an adaptation of Deborah Levy’s Spain-set novel of the same name, starring Fiona Shaw, Emma Mackey and Vicky Krieps. 

Hot Milk shot in Greece, including Athens, through July and August for 25 days. Special measures were put in place to cope with the high temperatures, and the production deployed experienced local crew when required. 

Lenkiewicz’s debut for Bonnie Productions, Film4 and Hanway Films is not the only Deborah Levy adaptation to visit in the past two years. Swimming Home, written and directed by fellow UK debut filmmaker Justin Anderson, also shot here. The UK-Netherlands-Greece co‑production was produced by Andy Starke of Anti-Worlds, Emily Morgan of Quiddity Films and 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.

Morgan says the positive draw of Greece’s popular 40% tax rebate for international film and TV productions, coupled with the availability of fantastic crew, facilities and locations, helped pull it together.

Another production service company, Faliro House serviced Netflix’s One Day and Amazon Prime’s Killer Heat, both released in 2024. They also serviced Prime Video's The Assassin. "In 2024, we also serviced a UK series for a global streamer and a large-scale US studio film, scheduled for release in 2026, among other projects," a spokesperson added.

Homemade Films has a busy slate for 2025, with A Thousand Days, A Thousand Nights, the fifth film of director Syllas Tzoumerkas; Shibboleth, the first feature film of Alexandra Matheou, a coproduction between Cyprus, Greece and France; The Hermit, the first feature film of Nicolas Kolovos, a coproduction between Greece and Sweden; and The Smuggler by Iranian-Swiss director Kaveh Bakhtiari, a coproduction between Switzerland & Greece, entirely shot in Greece with more to be confirmed.

High-end TV series that shot in Greece include Amazon MGM Studios and The Wonder Project’s House Of David, which filmed in the prefecture of Attica and the Peloponnese, in co-operation with Nomadic Pictures, Argonauts Productions from Greece, Kingdom Story Company and Lionsgate Television. Psychological thriller series Malice, directed by Mike Barker and starring David Duchovny for Prime Video, filmed on the island of Paros and Antiparos in Cyclades, Athens and Piraeus.

On the commercial front, Dare Films have worked on productions such as the Azzaro Christmas campaign, Renault Austral international campaign, 1100 Souvenirs , Caixa Bank international campaign, and Vacantie Discounter campaign, with an upcoming Renault campaign also in the works.

With its Mediterranean climate, diverse locations and landscapes, 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.

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. 

Putting it succinctly, Dare Film's co-founder Julie Papaikonomou says that what makes Greece a great choice is: "gorgeous locations, sun, great crews and experienced producers." 

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.

"The weather has an average of over 250 sunny days per year," says Homemade Films' producer Maria Drandaki. The landscape is "very diverse and varied, from rocky mountains to forests, urban cities to small villages, lakes and 13,676 km of coastline."

Faliro adds: "The country offers a versatile canvas for filmmakers, from historical settings to contemporary urban landscapes and pristine beaches."

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. Greece’s low living costs mean more room in your budget for production needs. 

The Greek Film Centre offers production support and access to Kapa Studios in Athens, and a network of service companies throughout the country. Kapa Studios has the capacity of 10 soundstages (ranging 400-1,600 square metres) and is known for its experienced set construction and dressing personnel, ready to "construct and create the most complex and demanding sets," says Kapa's George Karavokyris. 

There is also Nu Boyana Film Studios with a branch in Thessaloniki. A three hours by car from the Bulgarian capital Sofia, Thessaloniki is ideally located to move equipment from the original Nu Boyana facility, and an international airport makes it easy to bring talent into the country. The growing number of productions shooting across Greece means there are good local crews available to work on projects of all sizes.

Most of Greece’s most popular and picturesque filming locations are just a few hours’ drive from capital city Athens. Many of the 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.

First contact: Neoklis Mantas, director, Hellenic Film Commission: n.mantas@ekkomed.gr

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