Greek filmmaker Konstantinos Frangopoulos spoke to Cineuropa following his victory in securing the Eurimages Co-production Development Award, an accolade accompanied by a €20,000 cash prize, during the recent Cinekid event (see the news). Production duties on Nico Finds a Treasure are being handled by Rea Apostolides and Yuri Averof for Anemon Productions, and Vicky Miha for asterisk*, in collaboration with Joram Willink, representing the Netherlands’ Bind Film, and Philipp Budweg from Germany’s Lieblingsfilm.

Cineuropa: Could you give us some information about your project?
Konstantinos Frangopoulos: The story is based on a 1960s children's book by Ali Mitgutsch, set on a small Greek fishing island. Nico is a shy, skinny boy who finds it extremely difficult to make friends and adapt to life on the island. He can’t swim very well, and the island kids constantly make fun of him. But through a series of trials, he gains confidence in himself and even finds a treasure! I found myself captivated by the notion of crafting a cinematic experience that both delves into Nico’s inner world and transports viewers to the magical world of a remote Aegean island. At the same time, it was challenging – also for my screenwriter Alexandra Dyranis-Maounis and my Greek producers at Anemon and asterisk* – to bring Nico’s story into the present, weaving in contemporary issues like online gaming addiction and the degradation of the ocean.

How did you emphasise the story's relevance to the present day?
The film starts with Nico, a shy only child living in a big metropolis, who has a growing addiction to online games. His parents are worried and decide to send him to spend the summer on a remote island in Greece with a distant relative. They hope that once there, unplugged from the virtual world, he will be forced to connect with the real one. Obviously, Nico’s life is turned upside down. Gradually, and sometimes painfully, he overcomes his fears and realises that he can trust himself and his abilities. He eventually becomes friends with the children on that island, and discovers the magical underwater world of the sea and a lost treasure, which is none other than their friendship.

What are the film's primary themes, and what motivated you to bring it to life on screen?
The film speaks about the radical changes transforming children’s lives today. Like Nico, children are becoming less active, spending more time online. The island world offers an antidote to this digital reality. In Nico’s story, the sea has a liberating force, and it helps him overcome his issues, and find his confidence and self-esteem. The film intends to remind us of the importance of connecting with others and with nature, in order to find ourselves. I see it as a “call of the wild”, a call to venture outdoors, to explore the real world and forge strong relationships. For me, this is what can help children deal with the complexities of our digital age – and this is also a gift I want to give my child.

What is the current state of development, and what are your plans for the near future?
We have just completed the first draft of the script and are excited to be sharing it with our co-production partners, Bind in the Netherlands and Lieblingsfilm in Germany.  We are also probing interest in France and Canada.

How was your experience at this year’s Cinekid?
Attending Cinekid with Nico Finds a Treasure was very inspiring. I especially enjoyed receiving feedback from young children about the film, as they were incredibly open about what worked and what didn’t work for them. It was really rewarding to receive the Eurimages Co-production Development Award. Acts of encouragement like this are really important to help us move forward on this long journey, especially for filmmakers from a small country like Greece, which has limited funding opportunities.

How are you planning to use the Eurimages Co-production Development Award?
The development award will help the film gain international exposure, which will greatly support our funding efforts. We plan to invest the prize in developing the script further, especially through workshops with children, who have proven to be very good advisors! It will also help us do location scouting across the Aegean.

When do you expect to have your project ready for release?
We are aiming to have the film ready for release in 2026.