Alternate Economy Minister Alexis Charitsis has announced a plan to set up a national network of film offices aimed at drawing foreign productions to the country, which will be paid for by the state's public investment program.
According to the announcement five million euros will be allocated to setting up film offices at regions and municipalities around the country while the public investment program will fund the creation of a national audiovisual file that will cost ten million euros.
The announcement follows a decision by Culture Minister Lydia Koniordou to allow local antiquities departments, or ephorates, to review permits for filming on archaeological sites due to the backlog of delays in processing them.
"In order to relieve the backlog of permit applications at the Central Archaeological Council (KAS), local antiquities ephorates (which are overseen by the ministry) will take over,” said Koniordou.
Requests related to large archaeological sites registered with Unesco, like the Acropolis, or a series of sites such as filming involving the sites of Sounion, the Acropolis, and Eleusis, will come under the jurisdiction of the KAS, she clarified.
