Can Greece become a cinematic center of international scope?

The discussion that took place at the amphitheater of the Hellenic American Union on Monday, October 11, on the subject of Greece’s prospects of becoming a cinema center of international scope, was particularly lively. The Deputy Minister of Economic Diplomacy and Extroversion, Costas Frangogiannis and the well-known American producer and former president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts, Sid Ganis, invited to Greece by the Hellenic American Union, talked about the potential attraction in this direction.

The event was attended by film professionals, directors, producers, journalists and students. Also in the audience was Nancy Ganis, Ganis’ public relations manager, writer, producer and wife, who made keynote speeches during the discussion. Also present were the President and CEO of The National Centre of Audiovisual Media and Communication (EKOME), Panos Kouanis and the Chairman of the Board of the Hellenic Cinema Center, Markos Holevas, who participated in the discussion. The audience was attended by, among others, the cultural and educational program advisor of the US Embassy in Athens, Eleni Alexaki, the director Tassos Boulmetis, executives of the Hellenic Cinema Center, the Athens International Film Festival and Premicheras Nights of Premigira.

Referring to the extroversion efforts made by the government, the Minister presented to Mr. Ganis and the audience that attended the discussion, the incentives that have been given in recent years, to make Greece an attractive destination for the audiovisual industry. In addition to the natural diversity, sunshine, monuments and tourist infrastructure that make it ideal for such investments, they agreed that the economic and development incentives provided are high and competitive.

In fact, the mobility that exists in the field of audiovisual producers due to these incentives in our country was confirmed by the President and CEO of the National Center for Audiovisual Media & Communication – EKOME, Panos Kouanis. Mr. Kouanis referred to the more than 10 productions that have taken place since January 2021 in Greece and which came as a result of changes in the current legal framework. However, he did not fail to note the need for infrastructure and even permanent, so that these productions continue at the same and even more intensive pace in the future.

On the other hand, the lack of education and training of specialized human resources, as noted, is a long-term investment equal to the logistical infrastructure and financial incentives. For this purpose, the effort to connect educational institutions with the film industry was considered particularly important. The gap may be filled by a cinema-related center, such as the one envisioned by the Hellenic American Union in collaboration with the Hellenic American University. This fact was pointed out by Sid Ganis, who was recently declared a lifelong member of the board of the Museum of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts, and is visiting Greece as part of a series of events and meetings organized by the two institutions, to explore the possibility of creating a Cinema Center. The event closed with an optimistic message, as the Hellenic American Union and the Hellenic American University were praised for their idea to contribute to the creation of human infrastructure, thus making our country one of the most attractive and competitive destinations for audiovisual filmmakers in the long run. worldwide.

The establishment of the Center for Film Studies is an idea of ​​the President of the Hellenic American University, Leonidas Koskos, who is also the Chairman of the Board of the Hellenic American Union. As Mr. Koskos notes, “The Center will build on the initiatives already taken by the Hellenic American University in this direction, such as the innovative undergraduate music program in Music and the Translation for the Creative Industries of the Postgraduate Program in Translation