Abstract
This chapter explores the rise of co-productions in Greek cinema since 2010. It argues that while co-productions are not new in Greece, a combination of factors ranging from the reduced national funds for production as a result of the crisis, to the increased international visibility of Greek cinema in film festivals, has led to a recent intensification of co-production activity in the country. Using both quantitative (data analysis) and qualitative (interviews) methods, the chapter demonstrates the role of local and European/global factors in contributing to this rise. It focuses mainly to the emergence in Greece of a new generation of producers professionally trained in building European co-productions, who consider the adoption of an “extrovert”, Europeanised, production culture to be a matter of (Greek cinema’s) survival.
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Notes
- 1.
On the distinction, see International Co-production Research Network (https://www.copro-research-network.org/projects).
- 2.
For the Canada-Greece co-production agreement see: https://telefilm.ca/en/coproduction/international-treaties/greece. There are also currently discussions for a co-production treaty with China (Panagiotis Papahadzis, interview with the author, 24 August 2017).
- 3.
On the production history of Wednesday 4.45, see Papadimitriou (2018a); on the UK’s cultural test, see British Film Institute.
- 4.
Another factor that indicates increased “extroversion” is the growth of the number of co-production partners. As a recent study by the European Audiovisual Observatory has shown, between 2010–2011 and 2014–2015, Greece has seen a 110% growth in the number of co-production partners, being by far the leading country in this respect (Talavera 2017, 44–45).
- 5.
For the period 2010–2015, see Table 5.2 in Papadimitriou (2017b, 139); for 2017, I refer to data provided by the Greek Film Centre.
- 6.
On crowdfunding in Greek cinema, see Papadimitriou (2017a, 164–181).
- 7.
An industry event entitled “Extroversion … through Greek Cinema” explored such issues and took place at the Onassis Cultural Center, Athens, on 29 March 2016.
- 8.
For a detailed analysis of the effects of the crisis on film distribution in Greece, see Papadimitriou (2018b).
- 9.
For a more detailed discussion of the financial state of the Greek film industry since the crisis, including the ancillary markets, see Papadimitriou (2017b).
- 10.
For an assessment of the impact of the crisis on the audiovisual sector, see Foundation for Economic and Industrial Research 2014 (In Greek).
- 11.
Their respective websites are: http://www.blonde.gr; http://www.falirohouse.com/; http://homemadefilms.gr/; http://heretic.gr/.
- 12.
Interview with Fenia Kossovitsa in Athens, 30 August 2017.
- 13.
Interview with Christos V. Konstantakopoulos in Athens, 3 April 3 2015. See also Papadimitriou (2015, 126–127).
- 14.
Interview with Maria Drandaki in Athens, 3 August 2017.
- 15.
Interview with Konstantinos Kontovrakis in Athens, 3 August 2017.
- 16.
An important factor that has encouraged and supported the “extrovert” orientation of the production culture in Greece, has been the establishment of the co-production forum Crossroads at the Thessaloniki International Film Festival. Founded in 2005, by the then festival director, producer Despina Mouzaki, its aim is to create networking opportunities especially among Mediterranean, Balkan and East-Central European producers, filmmakers and funders. Regional in orientation, but European in approach, Crossroads has not only materially supported some co-productions through its awards, but served as a training ground for Greek filmmakers on how to approach co-productions, while also helping broker a number of deals (Papadimitriou 2016). During the 2010s, Greek projects are increasingly participating (and awarded) in other European co-production fora, such as Berlinale Talents, Sarajevo CineLink, Torino FilmLab or Sofia Meetings.
- 17.
To give an indication, in August 2017 the Greek Film Centre allocated between €180,000 to €120,000 per project from its main feature film fund (Greek Film Centre 2017a). In February 2018, the second national funding source, ERT, allocated between €120,000 and €50,000 per feature film (Flix 2018). With €180,000, in effect, being the highest possible allocation from the country’s main funding body at present, it is clear that reaching even the modest—by European standards—threshold of 1 million Euros, represents a serious challenge and requires a number of co-production partners.
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Papadimitriou, L. (2018). European Co-productions and Greek Cinema since the Crisis: “Extroversion” as Survival. In: Hammett-Jamart, J., Mitric, P., Novrup Redvall, E. (eds) European Film and Television Co-production. Palgrave European Film and Media Studies. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-97157-5_12
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