Production services in Cyprus

Cyprus is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, located at the Eastern end of Europe, at the crux of the busy shipping and air routes linking three (3) continents, Europe, Africa and Asia and in close proximity to diversified civilizations and settings.

Locations Cyprus has to offer

The island is a unique natural film studio in itself. Cyprus has a pleasant Mediterranean climate with year-round sunshine, which offers clear distinctions between the four seasons. The sun shines virtually almost every single day.

A polymorphic landscape comprising of deep blue seas and sandy beaches (from the exotic golden sand beaches of Ayia Napa to the turquoise colour waters of Akamas) captivating forests (Athalassa National Park one of the bigger forest areas in the island comprised of tall trees and surrounded by a beautiful big picturesque lake with ducks) and breath-taking mountains (Troodos Mountains with altitude of 1,952 meters getting also lots of snow during the winter including several natural trails, waterfalls and dense tree areas), picturesque villages and modern cities (the recently developed city of Limassol with an impressive coastline view including skyscapers in front of the sea and palm trees along the road), combines in the most authentic way the pure essence of nature with an urban landscape.

The rich historical and cultural landscape is reflected in the hundreds of archaeological sites scattered throughout the country, representing various historical periods in the island’s evolution. In such a small island with relevantly short distances, one can literally jump from the one tip of the island to the other, from the coast to the mountains in just a 30-minute drive. This scenery transition is one of a kind offering a wide range of filming attributes like natural light, surroundings, visual perspectives and angles, and so much more.

Architecture highlights of Cyprus include the futuristic style Eleftherias Square in the center of Nicosia (uniting the old part of the city with the new), commercial renovated city avenues (Makariou Avenue and the famous tall 360 Building having a panoramic view of the whole Nicosia City), the imposing Archbishop’s Palace, the Oval Tower in Limassol, Agia Sophia Church, the new Paphos Town Hall and many more.

You can find out more about different options and view reference photos from various locations in Cyprus here.

Local Crew and Equipment

The quality of local crew is very good. There are trained professionals who cover mostly all the crew areas. Cyprus has become a more active production hub during the last 5 years after the implementation of the new cash rebates program that helped raise the barrier higher for the skillfulness of the local production and technical crew. Big Hollywood Productions like the sci fi, action movie Jiu Jitsu starring Nicholas Cage and other noteworthy productions (Ghosts of Monday with Julian Sands, SOS with William Baldwin and others) are good examples that depict the change of scenery in Cyprus Cinematic Landscape putting the country into the map of International Production Locations. Cyprus Crew is reliable, highly professional and everyone speaks English. People are trustworthy, they stick to schedule and they are hard workers. Camera and other technical and lighting equipment is available as long as bookings are made in advance especially busy filming periods when two or more big productions are happening on the same time.

Filming Permissions

Filming is permitted in public areas. A request for permit has to be filed in advance to the specific Municipality of the desired shooting location. Regarding public areas or locations that belong to the government, you must contact the relative authority a couple of days before. Permits for shooting in Archaeological Areas belong to the jurisdiction of the Antiquity Department. Issuing a permit for a specific location sometimes may happen instantly (for private locations) or may take up to a few days to be approved (archaeological or government locations).

From the rough cliff areas above the sea (Agia Napa and Cape Greco) and the impressive view points on the mountains (Cavos View Point in Ayia Napa) to the big caves (Cyclops Cave in Paralimni and Mammari’s Cave), from the sand dunes in Limassol reminding a place in the desert to the vast farm and rural areas, Cyprus is definitely a versatile ladscape offering a variety of different choices and ready to facilitate every shooting need.

Cash Rebates Program

Rebate of up to 40% for Below the Line Expenses and up to 25% for Above the Line on eligible expenditures incurred in Cyprus.The amount granted will depend on the score of the production at the cultural test.The rebate will be given once filming is completed, on receipt of the audit report and its review by the committee. You can find out more info about the program here.

The Weather:

Enjoying a pleasant Mediterranean climate that offers more than 300 days of sunshine and good weather per year, Cyprus has one of the best climates worldwide, making it an ideal year-round Filming destination. The sun shines on the island virtually every single day, with warm and dry summers starting from May all the way through October, with an average temperature of 34°C. Mild winters with occasional rain last from December to February with an average temperature of 13°C, making it possible for someone to visit the snow-tipped forests in the Troodos Mountains and still enjoy a sunny cloudless sky. With clear distinctions between the seasons, the long summers and mild winters are separated by short autumn and spring seasons which allow one to appreciate the unique beauty of nature.