Cyprus is gaining momentum as a filming destination, supported by strategic efforts from Invest Cyprus to draw high-profile productions to the island.
According to the investment promotion agency, the are 13 major projects currently underway.
The current slew of projects include six films, six reality shows, and an English TV series, highlighting the impact of Cyprus’ audiovisual industry programme, which was initiated by Invest Cyprus.
“We could not have imagined this a year ago,” Lefteris Eleftheriou, director and head of filming at Invest Cyprus, told local outlet InBusinessNews.
Productions include a feature from ‘Find Me Falling’ director Stelana Kliris, a South African-Cypriot writer, director, and producer, as well as projects from Germany, France, Israel, and reality shows backed by major Scandinavian companies.
International producers have lauded Cyprus for its efficient government processes and skilled local professionals.
“They know very well the background, the potential, what we offer and how adequate we are as an audiovisual industry destination. And believe me, we pass the tests. This is the reason why big foreign companies return to Cyprus for new productions,” Eleftheriou said.
The island’s rising reputation is further underscored by the success of ‘Find Me Falling’, which held Netflix’s top global position for two weeks.
“When ‘Find Me Falling’ was being filmed, we did not know that such a great success would follow,” Eleftheriou remarked, demonstrating Cyprus’ potential as a prime filming location.
Since the programme’s full implementation in 2022, industry giants such as Paramount, Warner Bros, Channel 5, Channel 4, and Canal+ have established a presence on the island, creating jobs and supporting economic growth.
“Through the implementation of the programme, very big companies have come to Cyprus,” Eleftheriou noted, highlighting the programme’s role in upskilling local talent and generating new business opportunities.
Looking forward, Invest Cyprus is set to expand its reach to the U.S. market in 2025. “To date we have not done any promotion in the U.S. as an organisation. We wanted to go step by step and we initially targeted – and are targeting – Europe,” Eleftheriou explained, while underlining that Europe, particularly the UK, remains a vital market.
Cyprus’ audiovisual industry contributes beyond production jobs, with over 300 Cypriots engaged across pre-production, production, and post-production, boosting local economic value. The evaluation committee, led by Eleftheriou, is proposing that productions employ Cypriot audiovisual students, giving them crucial on-set experience and industry connections.
“We have prepared it and we hope that it will soon be passed by the Ministry of Finance,” Eleftheriou stated
In addition, new green policies are set to be introduced, encouraging sustainable practices as requested by the production companies themselves, and reinforcing the industry’s commitment to environmental standards.
Production applications are expected to grow further in 2025, as Invest Cyprus capitalises on its established reputation with platforms like Netflix and Amazon Prime.
Eleftheriou said that “they have truly learned about us at Netflix, which is the number one platform in the audiovisual industry around the world”.
He added that “other platforms, such as Amazon Prime, as well as film companies, have also come to Cyprus”.
“Independent professionals have expressed their intention to make productions in Cyprus, and we are in contact with them,” he concluded.
