The Thessaloniki Film Festival launched its inaugural Agora series on November 10 attended by a host of international TV CEOs and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, highlighting the determination of both the local government and industry to launch the local TV sector.
Addressing Full House at the historic Olympion Cinema, where he outlined government efforts to support the Greek screen industries through measures such as a 40% cash rebate and a 30% tax credit program, Mitsotakis declared: “We hope this is just the beginning.”
Backed by a cashback program, the sunny Mediterranean country hosted 20 international TV shows last year, according to the prime minister, including the Apple TV Plus spy movie “Tehran”.
Domestic production of high-profile drama series is growing – and foreign buyers are noticing this. Earlier this week, Netflix announced that it had acquired the global rights to the drama series “Maestro” (pictured), directed and starring Christoforos Papakaliatis, the first Greek TV show to bow to the streaming service. The series, which is currently airing on private station MEGA, will launch on Netflix in Greece and Cyprus on December 19, before being released worldwide in early 2023.
Speaking before a panel of industry executives on Thursday, Netflix Italia’s director of content acquisition, Veronica Vitale, pitched the show as the kind of series the streaming service is looking for from the growing Greek TV sector.
“Maestro” is a great example of…a show that feels very local and very Greek. But at the same time, it touches on universal themes such as forbidden love, human nature, conflicts and the family. “That’s what we hope will get people to connect with all over the world.”
Ferdinand Dohna, a producer at Munich-based production and distribution company Beta Film, which sells the Greek kidnapping film Silent Road internationally, noted that the series highlights a dramatic tradition dating back to the days of ancient Greece. “It really shows Greek excellence in storytelling,” he said.
Government and financial institutions are increasingly collaborating to help the tradition translate this tradition into television dramas taking place around the world. Earlier this week in Thessaloniki, the Hellenic Development Bank (HDB) introduced a €62.5 million ($64 million) loan guarantee program targeting the audiovisual sector, including motion pictures, video and television production, and computer game development. The program offers an 80% guarantee rate for low-interest loans ranging from €25,000 ($25,600) to €900,000 ($922,000) from partner lenders Piraeus Bank and Optima Bank.
Combined with a successful cash-back and tax-exempt programme, as well as lower production costs compared to most of Europe, Greek producers now have a wide range of financial instruments at their disposal – even if they have traditionally been cash-strapped. local broadcasters.
However, producer Julian Leroux, of London-based Paper Entertainment, emphasized that “you don’t need to get 1 million euros ($1.02 million)” [per episode] That the budget be appropriate outside Greece.”
“Look at Israel,” said Leroux, who served as executive producer on the first season of Emmy-winning “Tehran” and co-produced the second season. “Israel produces on very low budgets, like those in Greece, and Israeli content travels around the world. It’s not necessarily about money. It’s also about creative ambition and presenting unique, ambitious and innovative stories to audiences – first in Greece, and if it works with the Greek audience, it might be There is an opportunity to work outside Greece.”
Launched globally by Apple TV Plus in 2021 after debuting on Israeli public television, “Tehran” was produced by Greek broadcaster Cosmote TV and filmed largely in Athens, which doubles as Iran’s capital. “It works amazingly well,” said Leroux. “There is a huge variety of different locations in Greece. It is a phenomenon. This is a huge advantage that Greece has over a lot of other regions.”
“We know how special Greece is,” Vitale added, noting that Netflix has filmed more than 10 productions in the country in recent years, including Maggie Gyllenhaal’s “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery” and Maggie Gyllenhaal’s “The Lost Daughter.”
But while “locations are a big factor,” she asked an audience of Greek producers eager to work with the streaming giant “what will you bring to the world”.
“Why is this story being told by you and not by an American company or writer? What makes it special? What value do you add to this story? Most of the time, if anyone can tell that story, it is probably not the best story you tell.”
“Start with what sounds familiar to the Greek audience and try to elevate that – to bring a fresh take and tell something that hasn’t been told.”
The Thessaloniki Film Festival runs from November 3-13.
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