By Emilios Harbis

People often throw ideas around about cheap and easy ways of boosting foreign investment in movie production in Greece. So what incentives do exist that could persuade international producers to shoot films here instead of elsewhere?

Right now, Greece’s high taxes and masses of red tape act as a deterrent, while there have also been reports of financial disputes when it comes to co-productions, but there are hopes that the reformed Film Commission – a part of the Greek Film Center – will help resolve some of these issues.

In the meantime, however, there is one advantage the country does have over its competitors and that is its unique cinematic landscapes, and the Film Commission is focusing on this in a new initiative that challenges photographers to produce an image capable of selling Greece as a film location.

In a recent announcement, the Commission invited professional and amateur photographers, directors of photography, location managers and enthusiasts with an eye for film to respond to this challenge with photographs that showcase the diversity of Greece’s natural and historical assets, without the interference of commercial interests. The finalists’ images will then be put on display in an exhibition.

Those interested in taking part in the initiative should register and submit their photographs at www.locateyourphoto.gr. The Film Commission will then select the best of the photographs submitted and these will be shown on all the websites belonging to the Greek Film Center.

This article was first published by ekathimerini.com on 25/07/17