Cyprus sees growing interest from the international film industry

Cyprus is seeing a growing interest from the international film industry, with a Cyprus-USA co-production currently in the final stage of production, the national investment agency Invest Cyprus said on Thursday.

“In recent months, the interest of international producers in Cyprus has not only increased but has transformed into filming in various areas of the island,” head of Invest Cyprus unit for filming, Lefteris Eleftheriou said.

“Both the producers, as well as the actors, are equally impressed by the natural landscapes of the country and the professionals available in the field. We are confident that soon we will see several more productions taking place in our country”.

Currently, a Cyprus-USA co-production has entered the final stage of production. Titled ‘The Islander’, written and directed by Stelana Kliris. Filming took place entirely in Cyprus, specifically in the region of Peyia and in the capital, Nicosia.

Kliris’ production company, Meraki Films produced the film, together with producers Keith Arnold, Steve Shapiro, and local production company, Green Olive Films.

‘The Islander’ is a romantic comedy featuring a strong element of music and starring international actors such as Harry Connick Jr, Agni Scott, and Ali Fumiko Whitney, as well as an esteemed Cypriot cast like Tony Dimitriou, Lea Maleni and Angeliki Filippidou.

“The Cypriot element is particularly strong in this film since most of the team comes from Cyprus. Our cast and crew who worked during the filming, and the crew currently working in post-production, are mostly from Cyprus”, Kliris noted.

The film is funded by Uinta Productions, the deputy ministry of culture, and the Cyprus audiovisual industry promotion scheme.

“Cyprus has all those elements needed to attract an international production: Ideal weather conditions, excellent locations, and excellent crews. Our company aims to bring in more productions to Cyprus in the future.”

“What has been essential to our efforts has been the Cyprus film scheme by Invest Cyprus, and also the support we received from the very beginning from the cultural services of the deputy ministry of culture”, Kliris explained.

Invest Cyprus began spearheading ‘Olivewood’ in 2019 in a bid to attract foreign film investments and boost local production.