The Cannes Film Market (Marché du Film) has officially named Greece as its 2027 Country of Honour for the landmark 80th edition of the Cannes Film Festival. This prestigious spotlight celebrates the country’s rapid ascent into a premier global audiovisual hub.

Operating under the banner “Ride the Greek Wave,” the initiative will highlight the convergence of Greek creativity, a booming production sector, and its growing role in international storytelling.

“With the remarkable momentum of its film and audiovisual industry today, Greece embodies the spirit of creativity, openness, and international collaboration that the Marché du Film seeks to celebrate through its Country of Honour initiative,” said Guillaume Esmiol, Executive Director of the Marché du Film.

This major milestone follows a massive influx of high-profile international projects utilizing Greece’s scenic versatility and its highly competitive 40% cash rebate incentive.

Cannes celebrates Greece as a film and TV production hub

Major recent film and television productions that have set up camp across Greece’s islands and mainland include:

Emily in Paris (Netflix): For its highly anticipated new season, the ultra-popular streaming franchise has expanded Emily Cooper’s horizons to Greece. Production crews completely took over Mykonos, filming major scenes featuring Lily Collins and co-star Lucas Bravo at the pristine Agios Sostis Beach, as well as the island’s iconic windmills and the narrow alleys of Little Venice.

The Riders: Hollywood star Brad Pitt spent weeks touring Greece to film this high-stakes psychological drama directed by Oscar-winner Edward Berger (All Quiet on the Western Front). The production spanned diverse settings across the country, from a dramatic artificial storm sequence shot inside a historic studio in Menidi to location shoots on the car-free island of Hydra, the historic railway station of Chalkida, and right in front of Athens Town Hall in Kotzia Square.

The Odyssey (Universal Pictures): Christopher Nolan’s highly anticipated, ancient-set cinematic epic based on Homer’s poem, which utilized locations across the Mediterranean, including Greece.

The Return: A gritty, atmospheric retelling of Odysseus’s homecoming starring Ralph Fiennes and Juliette Binoche, filmed extensively amidst the ancient olive groves and rugged cliffs of Corfu.

House of David (Amazon MGM Studios): A sprawling biblical drama series that transformed the landscapes of Attica and the Peloponnese into ancient Israel.

Malice (Prime Video): A psychological thriller series starring David Duchovny and Carice van Houten, which filmed across Athens, Piraeus, and the sun-bleached Cycladic islands of Paros and Antiparos.

Maestro in Blue (Netflix): The critically acclaimed, internationally distributed Greek drama series produced by Christoforos Papakaliatis, which wrapped up its sweeping story against the stunning backdrop of Paxos and Corfu.

Greece’s audiovisual sector

Leonidas Christopoulos, CEO of Greece’s film and media agency EKKOMED, noted that the Cannes distinction is a massive victory for the local industry: “This distinction is both a significant recognition and a unique opportunity to showcase Greece’s vibrant creative ecosystem on the international stage. Today, Greece is a place where cinematic heritage meets contemporary talent, innovation, and international collaboration.”

EKKOMED says that Greece’s audiovisual sector contributes €1.9 billion ($2.18 billion) to the national economy, supports approximately 44,000 jobs, and includes nearly 3,000 companies active across production, post-production, animation, and related creative services.