Olivewood

This article is about the film-making industry in Cyprus. For other uses, see Olivewood (disambiguation).

Olivewood is a marketing term used in efforts of Cyprus to brand as a movie production destination.[1][2][3][4] The term is a portmanteau of "Olive" and "Hollywood".

History

Cyprus film production dates back to the 1950s, soon after World War II, with They Who Dare as first film noted on location on IMDb. Productions since the 1950s include action, comedy, sci-fi, romance, drama and melodrama along with notable documentaries from the BBC and the National Geographic.[5][6][7]

Climate

Cypriot climate is predictable and a key advantage for film production (340 days of sunshine year round).

Locations

The island has a diverse set of film locations and dissimilar climates.[8] Locations range from archaeological sites to antiquated villages, Greek amphitheatres, and modern European cities such as Limassol.

Inter-connectivity

The Republic has two deep-sea ports (Limassol & Port of Larnaca) and two international airports (Larnaca and Paphos).

Shooting Permits

Shooting Permits is a requirement for most purposes. Film Producers must liaison with the key Government Agencies depending on the necessity:[9]

• Department of Civil Aviation
• Deputy Ministry of Tourism
• Department of Antiquities
• Ministry of Health
• National Guard
• Cyprus Police

Incentives

An incentive scheme was introduced in 2018 to encourage more international productions.[10] S.O.S: Survive Or Sacrifice featuring William Baldwin was the first film to take advantage of the Olivewood incentive plan.[11][12]

See also

• Cinema of Cyprus
• Cyprus International Film Festival

References

1. Christou, Jean (October 10, 2018). "Cyprus 'Olivewood' officially launched as a film location".
2. Antoniou, Antonis. "After Hollywood And Bollywood It's Time For Producers To Discover Olivewood". Forbes.
3. "Move over Hollywood, tourist island Cyprus is ready to roll". The Jakarta Post.
4. Kampouris, Nick. "'Olive-wood': Cyprus' Plan To Develop Film Industry". Greek Reporter.
5. National Geographic: National Geographic’s latest travel stories about Cyprus
6. BBC: Island of Love
7. BBC Two: Mediterranean with Simon Reeve - Episode 1
8. Vourlias, Christopher (February 14, 2019). "Island of Cyprus Joins the Battle for Foreign Filmmakers With Incentives".
9. KFTV: Cyprus
10. "Film Production". Cyprus Profile.
11. "Cyprus welcomes Nicolas Cage to 'Olivewood'". The New Paper - Singapore Press Holdings.
12. "S.O.S. Survive or Sacrifice (2019)". IMDb.