The Hellenic Film and Audiovisual Center – EKKOMED is Greece’s national institution for film and audiovisual creation.

In its current form, EKKOMED brings together within a single organisation two major strands of Greek public policy for the audiovisual sector: the long-standing mission of supporting and developing Greek cinema, and the more recent policy of attracting investment, expanding audiovisual production, fostering technological innovation and strengthening international outreach.

EKKOMED’s history, however, did not begin with its establishment in 2024.

Its institutional roots reach back more than half a century, to 1970, and in many ways follow the evolution of Greek cinema itself: from the era of large-scale commercial film production and the crisis of the 1970s, to the recognition of cinema as a field of public cultural policy, the growing international presence of Greek filmmakers and, later, the emergence of a modern audiovisual creative economy.

1970 The institutional origins

The first institutional roots of today’s EKKOMED can be traced to 1970, with the establishment of the General Film Enterprises (Geniki Kinimatografikon Epicheiriseon) as a subsidiary of the Hellenic Industrial Development Bank (ETVA).

Its creation reflected the way cinema was perceived at the time: not only as a cultural activity, but also as a productive and industrial sector. Its initial operations were relatively limited and focused primarily on film production and financing.

Following the restoration of democracy in Greece in 1974, the organisation gradually began to change direction. Under the chairmanship of the prominent filmmaker and writer Giorgos Tzavellas, it opened up to a younger generation of filmmakers and supported new film productions. During this period, General Film Enterprises was renamed the Greek Film Centre (GFC).

This transformation coincided with a period of profound change for Greek cinema.

From the mid-1970s onwards, the previous model of the Greek film industry entered a period of serious decline. The rapid expansion of television, the sharp fall in cinema admissions, the closure of cinemas and the contraction of commercial film production fundamentally changed the economic environment in which Greek films were produced and distributed.

Against this background, it became increasingly clear that Greek filmmaking required a stable institutional framework of public support.

1981–1986 Cinema becomes a field of public cultural policy

The early 1980s marked the beginning of a new era for public film policy in Greece.

In 1981, with Melina Mercouri at the Ministry of Culture, support for Greek cinema assumed a central place in the country’s cultural policy. In the same year, writer and film critic Pavlos Zannas, a major figure in Greek film culture, was appointed Chairman of the Greek Film Centre.

This period culminated in a major institutional milestone: Law 1597/1986 on the protection and development of the art of cinema and the support of Greek cinematography.

Under this legislation, the Greek Film Centre acquired a central institutional role in the implementation of national film policy. Its mission extended beyond the financing of individual productions. It became closely associated with the protection, development and dissemination of cinematic art and with strengthening the presence of Greek cinema both domestically and internationally.

At a time when the traditional economic structures underpinning Greek film production had significantly weakened, the GFC evolved into the principal public funding institution for domestic film production for many years.

At the same time, it supported the distribution of Greek films, film festivals, Greece’s participation in international film markets and the efforts of Greek films and filmmakers to reach audiences beyond the country’s borders.

From the 1990s towards a more international Greek cinema

From the early 1990s onwards, the environment began to change once again.

Greek cinema was exploring new models of production and financing, while European cooperation was becoming increasingly important. International co-productions, European funding instruments, festivals and film markets became progressively more significant in the production and financing journey of a Greek film.

The Greek Film Centre evolved alongside these changes, supporting the development and production of Greek works, international co-productions and the growing international presence of Greek cinema.

The institutional framework was modernised again through Law 3905/2010, which became a major reference point for Greek film policy over the following years and redefined the role of the Greek Film Centre within a changing European and audiovisual environment.

This period also coincided with the emergence of a new generation of Greek filmmakers and an increasingly visible Greek presence at major international festivals, markets and industry events. The international circulation of Greek films and the expansion of European and international co-productions gradually strengthened Greece’s position on the European film landscape.

2017 A second institutional path begins: EKOME

By the late 2010s, a second institutional path began to develop alongside that of the Greek Film Centre.

The international audiovisual market had changed dramatically. The rapid growth of digital platforms, the globalisation of production, the expansion of high-budget television series and increasing competition among countries seeking to attract international productions were creating an entirely new landscape.

In 2017, the institutional framework was established for the National Centre of Audiovisual Media and Communication – EKOME.

At the same time, Law 4487/2017 introduced a new investment incentive for audiovisual production: the Greek Cash Rebate.

For the first time at this scale, Greek audiovisual policy acquired an instrument directly linking public support for audiovisual works with production expenditure and economic activity generated in Greece.

Feature films, television series, documentaries, animation and, subsequently, other forms of audiovisual content could receive support on the basis of eligible expenditure incurred in the country.

The operation of the incentive contributed to the development of a new production dynamic and strengthened Greece’s presence in the international competition for audiovisual productions.

Alongside the investment incentive, EKOME developed initiatives in audiovisual and media literacy, research, documentation and the broader development of the audiovisual sector.

As a result, by the beginning of the 2020s Greece had two public institutions operating in parallel, with different but complementary missions: the Greek Film Centre, focused on film creation and selective funding, and EKOME, focused on investment incentives and the development of the wider audiovisual sector.

2024 Two paths become one

The year 2024 marked the next major institutional milestone.

Under Law 5105/2024, the Greek Film Centre and EKOME were merged into a new organisation: the Hellenic Film and Audiovisual Center – EKKOMED.

The merger was more than an administrative consolidation of two public institutions.

For the first time, it brought together under a single national organisation two distinct but interconnected dimensions of audiovisual policy: on the one hand, film as art, culture and creative expression and, on the other, audiovisual production as a creative economy, investment, employment and technological development.

The new organisation began operating in September 2024, assuming responsibility both for the programmes and obligations inherited from its two predecessor organisations and for designing a new, integrated policy for film and audiovisual creation.

Within this framework, EKKOMED assumed responsibility for audiovisual production incentives, selective funding programmes for Greek cinema and initiatives relating to international outreach, education, innovation and audiovisual policy.

At the same time, EKKOMED took on a significant transitional responsibility: completing the implementation and payment of investment projects and film projects approved under previous funding schemes.

2024–2026 The transition towards a single national institution

The first years of EKKOMED’s operation have been a period both of integration and acceleration.

The transition required the consolidation of different administrative functions, funding instruments and organisational structures, while ensuring continuity in the management of hundreds of active investment and film projects.

At the same time, EKKOMED continued the payment and completion of projects supported through the Cash Rebate, the implementation of selective funding programmes for Greek cinema and the support of activities relating to promotion, distribution, festivals and international outreach.

This period gradually marked a broader shift in scale: from the parallel operation of individual funding mechanisms towards the development of an integrated strategy for the entire audiovisual creative sector.

2026 The next institutional step

With Law 5324/2026, EKKOMED’s institutional and funding architecture evolved further.

The new framework expands the range of public policy instruments available for film and audiovisual creation and provides the basis for a new generation of funding programmes entering into operation from 2027.

Within this new environment, EKKOMED’s role extends beyond the administration of individual funding schemes. It is called upon to connect within a single public policy:

– the support of Greek filmmaking and audiovisual creation,
– the attraction and development of audiovisual productions,
– international presence and outreach,
– education and skills development,
– innovation and emerging technologies,
– film and audiovisual heritage,
– research and documentation,
– the development of public policy for a sector undergoing continuous transformation.

Today Culture, creativity and growth

More than half a century after the first institutional milestone of 1970, EKKOMED represents a much broader understanding of the role of a modern public institution for film and audiovisual creation.

Cinema remains at the heart of its mission.

At the same time, however, the world in which audiovisual stories are created, produced and distributed has changed fundamentally. Film, television, streaming, animation, video games, immersive experiences and new forms of digital creation increasingly intersect. Technology is transforming production and distribution. International co-productions and global platforms are reshaping traditional geographical boundaries. New professions and new skills are continuously emerging.

In this environment, EKKOMED approaches film and audiovisual creation simultaneously as a cultural asset and a creative economy.

It supports creators and their work while helping create the conditions for more production in Greece, new investment, employment, skills development and international collaboration.

It supports Greek cinema while working to establish Greece as a modern and competitive destination for international audiovisual production.

It invests in new creation without losing sight of Greece’s film and audiovisual heritage.

And it connects public funding with international outreach, education, innovation, technology and knowledge.

This dual dimension lies at the heart of EKKOMED’s identity today.

From 1970 to tomorrow

The journey from General Film Enterprises in 1970, to the Greek Film Centre, to EKOME and ultimately to EKKOMED represents much more than a sequence of institutional transformations.

It reflects the evolution of the way Greece understands film and audiovisual creation.

From film production to the development of a comprehensive public policy for Greek cinema.

From national funding to European co-productions and international circulation.

From traditional filmmaking to the wider audiovisual creative economy.

From established media to emerging technologies and new forms of storytelling.

Today, EKKOMED continues this journey with one overarching goal: to create the conditions for more ideas to become works in Greece, and for more Greek works and creators to reach their audiences both at home and around the world.

We support Greek creativity. We open pathways to the world.