What is the Film Office
The Film Office (ie a reception and service office for audiovisual productions, movies, commercials, etc.) is an initiative addressed at a big number of the market share, with the aim of attracting in a coordinated and effective way the implementation of international film productions in Greece.
The purpose of the Film Office is to be a hub for managing film requests, as well as connecting professionals and organizations related to the execution of an audiovisual production.
The operation of the Film Offices in the Regions is funded by the Ministry of Digital Policy. However, the Region of Western Greece takes also advantage of parallel, additional opportunities to attract the most important international organizations that could invest in the film industry.
In this context, through its participation in the European project CIAK, which is funded by the Cross-Border Program Interreg V / A Greece-Italy (EL-IT) 2014-2020, the Region of Western Greece created its own Film Office with the aim of attracting audiovisual production in the Regional Units of Aitoloakarnania, Achaia and Ilia.
The office started its function at the end of January 2019, at the junction of Amerikis and Aigiou Streets in Patras.
The European CIAK Project
The European project CIAK with the detailed title "Joint initiatives for the recognition and exploitation of the tourism potential of the program area through cinema - Common Initiatives to AcKnowledge and valorize tourism potential of the program area through cinema" is funded by the INTERREG Cross-Border Cooperation Program between Greece and Italy [Interreg VA Greece-Italy] 2014-2020. The project is part of Priority Axis 2 - Integrated environmental management - with a budget of about 900,000.00 euros. It aims to promote the utilization of the involved areas of Puglia and the Greek Regions by implementing initiatives related to the audiovisual sector, creating the opportunity to become more widely known and to highlight the attractiveness of the sites, as well as their historical and natural beauty as catalysts for their tourism development.
Services provided by the Film Office of the Region Unit of Western Greece
The design of the structure of the Film Office operation aims to answer questions such as the management of the shooting locations, the coordination between the involved public bodies (e.g. Municipalities, Regions, Ministries, etc.), the licensing of shooting, the receipt of appropriate equipment, finding suitable accommodation, etc.
In particular, the creation of a Film Office in the Region of Western Greece will offer support to productions in order to accelerate and normalize those services that require decisions and authorizations from the public administration or government agencies.
The Film Office provides international companies and professionals with focused and for public use services such as:
• Reception of shooting licensing applications / Coordination of co-competent bodies / Welcome and support of producers, with the aim of minimizing administrative bureaucratic acts (one stop shop)
• Information on current legislation on issues related to a production
• Monitoring the issuance of licenses / Issuance of all required licenses collected by all competent bodies to a Greek or Foreign producer
• Information and support for practical issues related to production (accommodation, food, transport, equipment, etc.)
• Finding suitable public and private shooting locations depending on the needs of the production / Locating location and suggestions of activities on site
• Implementation and updating of electronic databases: photos and / or videos of locations (Location Guide) and professionals and local experts (Production Guide) for all shooting locations (public or private)
• Consulting services for finding private sponsorships / funding
• Support for cinematic equipment import procedures
• Promotion of further vocational training, education and retraining of institutions in the sector
• Mediation between the audiovisual sector, local industry, banks and other sectors involved
• Supporting investments in the audiovisual sector, while promoting the areas with their individual cultural, artistic, tourist, local and industrial characteristics.
