09/10/2024 - International producers and Greek filmmakers came together at The Owl to forge new creative partnerships, with over 200 networking meetings held during the event

The Athens Film Office (AFO), under the city’s growth agency Develop Athens, has once again brought together the Greek and international audiovisual sectors through its flagship screenwriting workshop, The Owl. Held from 1-4 October, this year’s iteration marked the third consecutive edition of the workshop, solidifying Athens’ growing role in global film and television production.

A major highlight of this year's event was the debut of The Owl Industry Days (3-4 October), an initiative that included presentations, discussions and panels focused on Greek fiction productions. Held at the St George Lycabettus Lifestyle Hotel, The Owl facilitated over 200 networking meetings between producers, screenwriters and industry professionals from Greece and abroad. This exchange of ideas and potential collaborations further underscored Athens' expanding reputation as an international production hub.

The Owl Industry Days opened with an introduction by AFO and the City of Athens, given by AFO director Stathis Kalogeropoulos, followed by a presentation by Leonidas Christopoulos, CEO of the Hellenic Film and Audiovisual Center, who introduced the Creative Greece initiative. This new support scheme combines selective funding with an enhanced cash-rebate programme to attract international filmmakers. Following this, a panel discussion moderated by Marc Lorber explored the benefits of co-productions and servicing in Greece, with local producers highlighting the country’s competitive offerings in these areas.

A particular highlight was The Owl Pitching Event, where participants from the 2023-24 workshop presented their projects to a five-member jury of industry leaders. Laura Good’s project Watchdogs won Best TV Pilot Script, telling the story of journalists risking their lives to complete a murdered colleague's investigation. Meanwhile, Lukas Rinker’s Paws won Best Feature Film Script, following climate researchers stranded in the Arctic, who must survive both a polar bear attack and internal betrayal. Both projects quickly piqued the attention of international production companies, with many now in active negotiations. As Christina Mitropoulou, head of The Owl, noted: “Many of these projects are already engaged in serious discussions with production companies both in Greece and abroad.”

The event also addressed broader industry trends: Alessia Sonaglioni, programme manager for the Council of Europe’s Pilot Programme for Series Co-productions, introduced a new funding scheme aimed at promoting cross-border collaborations in series production. Additionally, television producer and former senior vice-president at HBO Anne Thomopoulos moderated a panel with major Greek broadcasting networks and streaming platforms, where industry representatives discussed their content strategies and future plans. Another key session, “Greek Ecosystem – Focus on Creativity and Talent”, moderated by Cineuropa’s Vassilis Economou, enabled local screenwriters and filmmakers to explore how their unique narratives can find a broader audience on the global stage. In parallel with The Owl Industry Days, the 30th Athens International Film Festival hosted a specialised workshop led by intimacy coordinator Elle McAlpine, known for her work on projects like Poor Things [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Suzy Bemba
Q&A: Yorgos Lanthimos
film profile] and One Day [+see also:
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trailer
interview: Zsófia Szilágyi
film profile].

Reflecting on the success of the event, Ioannis Georgizas, CEO of Develop Athens SA, stated: “We are proud to have organised and hosted such a successful international event in Athens. Producers and screenwriters from around the world gathered in our city for The Owl, strengthening our country’s audiovisual sector.”

Among the most prominent mentors and guests this year were Dohna Ferdinand, head of Content and Co-production at Beta Film; Noel Hedges, EVP International Acquisitions and Co-productions, TV at Lionsgate; Katie O'Connell Marsh, executive producer at Apple; Erik Pack, SVP Global Sales and Co-production at Boat Rocker Studios; and Mirela Nastase, director of Drama at ZDF Studios.

This year has also proven to be a record-breaking one for the AFO, with 28 productions completed by the end of September for major platforms like the BBC, Amazon Prime and Netflix. These productions have not only showcased Athens as a versatile filming location, but have also generated a record-breaking €40 million-plus in expenditure, generating over €150,000 in direct revenue for the city of Athens and creating more than 1,000 jobs in the Greek audiovisual industry. Notable productions filmed in Athens include Tehran (Apple TV), Jack Ryan (Amazon Prime), Crimes of the Future [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile], Rise (Disney), Greek Salad [+see also:
interview: Cédric Klapisch
series profile] (Amazon) and The Little Drummer Girl [+see also:
series review
interview: Venia Vergou
series profile] (BBC).