Greece On Screen 750 million film strategy 2026 queer cinema

Greece Is Pouring €750 Million into Its Film Industry and Queer Filmmakers Should Pay Attention

The Greek government has approved a five-year, €750 million strategy to transform its audiovisual sector, covering film, television, animation, digital games and music. For Greek queer cinema, the timing is significant.

The Greek Council of Ministers approved the Greece On Screen strategy on 6 May 2026, committing €750 million across the period 2026 to 2030. Jointly designed by the Ministry of Culture and the Hellenic Film and Audiovisual Center, known as EKKOMED, it is the most comprehensive state-backed framework for the country's creative industries to date. The plan covers domestic production incentives, international shoots in Greece, skills training, digital heritage preservation and a new level-5 Film and Audiovisual Technical School.

The numbers are substantial. Of the total, €412 million goes to investment programmes covering domestic and international productions, selective development schemes and distribution support for Greek cinema. A further €210 million flows through a loan guarantee scheme with the Hellenic Development Bank, targeting smaller companies in the sector. Another €52 million covers the new technical school and training initiatives.

For queer filmmakers in Greece, the scale of this investment matters. Greece legalised same-sex marriage in 2024 and its queer cinema scene has been growing steadily, with the Thessaloniki International Documentary Festival having recently dedicated a major programme to LGBTQIA+ documentary cinema. The Thessaloniki Film Festival's Agora market is explicitly named in the strategy as an international hub to be reinforced. More funding, more training and a more competitive production environment all expand the conditions in which queer stories can get made and seen.

EKKOMED CEO Leonidas Christopoulos described the plan as the first time the Greek state has addressed the film industry in a systematic way, treating it as both a cultural and an economic priority at the same time. The strategy also notes that every euro invested in audiovisual production returns €4.20 to the wider economy.

Full details at ekkomed.gr.

Via Cineuropa