The cinema of Cyprus[a] came into existence much later than that of most other countries, with the 1960s generally being accepted as the industry's earliest notable history.
The Cypriot film industry historically suffered from slow growth due to a general lack of interest due to inhabitants being preoccupied by the Cyprus problem, the island's small population, and its awkward geographical location at the crossroads of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and the Middle East. It has progressed exponentially since the late 2010s due to Hollywood using it as a filming location, local filmmakers receiving praise at festivals abroad, and the Christodoulides government giving the island's arts sector an unprecedented level of support through its Invest Cyprus scheme.
Overview
Michael Cacoyannis became the most famous Cypriot filmmaker to date when he wrote, directed, edited, and produced Zorba the Greek (1964). Another filmmaker working at the same time was George Filis, who made the films Loves and Woes (1967),[b]The Last Kiss (1970),[c]Gregoris Afxentiou: A Hero With a Memoir (1973),[d]This Is How Cyprus Was Betrayed (1974),[e] and The Mega Document (1979).[f]Loves and Woes is a documentary about traditional Cypriot dances and music, while The Last Kiss is a romantic drama, marking the only two films by Filis that are not political works about either the 1955–1959 Cyprus Emergency or the 1974 Turkish invasion of Cyprus.[1]
Since 1989, Cypriot co-productions have been eligible for funding from the Council of Europe's Eurimages Fund. To date, four feature films on which a Cypriot was listed as an executive producer have received funding from Eurimages: Of Greece (scheduled for 1995 but unreleased),[g]The Slaughter of the Rooster (1996),[h]The Promise (1999),[i] and The Road to Ithica (2000).[j][2] There is also a government-backed initiative for filmmakers to apply for funding from the Invest in Cyprus scheme,[3] which absorbed the former Filming in Cyprus scheme in 2024.[4]
In 1994, Cypriot film production received a boost with the establishment of the island's Cinema Advisory Committee. By 2000, the annual amount set aside for filmmaking in the national budget was CYP£500,000 (approximately €850,000). Statistics showed that in 2011 the country hosted 30 cinema screens,[5] produced three films (two fictional and one documentary),[6] sold 870,000 tickets,[7][8] and grossed €7.11 million at the box office.[7] At the same time, its three biggest distributors were (in order) Four Stars Films, Odeon, and Feelgood.[9] Marios Piperides' film Smuggling Hendrix (2018) received acclaim at that year's Tribeca Film Festival,[10][11][12] while Tonia Mishiali's film Pause (2018) also received positive reviews.[13]
Since around 2018, Cyprus has attempted to market itself as a filming location and branded itself "Olivewood",[14][15][16] a portmanteau of "Olive" and "Hollywood".[17] The Hollywood action film Jiu Jitsu (2020) starring Nicolas Cage was shot in Cyprus, which doubled for Myanmar, but was a critical and commercial failure; it also became embroiled in a controversy when the filmmakers promised to sue President Nicos Anastasiades' then-government for breach of contract due to the non-payment of the €8 million rebate outlined in their contract, resulting in the potential production of at least three more Hollywood films being moved elsewhere, which was estimated to have lost millions in expected revenue for the economy of Cyprus and took away many potential jobs for local film crew.[18]
Despite the setback caused by Jiu-Jitsu, Hollywood producers soon returned to the island when the 2023 Cypriot presidential election resulted in Anastasiades losing to Nikos Christodoulides, whose government restarted discussions with Hollywood and began giving an unprecedented level of support to the island's arts sector through its Invest Cyprus scheme.[3]Stelana Kliris' romantic comedy film Find Me Falling (2024) starring Harry Connick Jr. became the first Hollywood film to be both set and filmed in Cyprus, and the first film directed by a Cypriot to receive a worldwide Netflix premiere.[19]
Cyprus is home to production companies such as AMP Filmworks,[20] Bark Like a Cat Films,[21] Meraki Films,[22] and Seahorse Films,[23] as well as the Cypriot branch of Greek production company Green Olive Films.[24]
