Olivewood is a

metonymy Metonymy () is a figure of speech in which a concept is referred to by the name of something closely associated with that thing or concept. Etymology The words ''metonymy'' and ''metonym'' come from grc, μετωνυμία, 'a change of name' ...

and the official marking of

Cyprus Cyprus ; tr, Kıbrıs (), officially the Republic of Cyprus,, , lit: Republic of Cyprus is an island country located south of the Anatolian Peninsula in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Its continental position is disputed; while it is geo ...

efforts to mature into a high value movie production destination. The term is a

portmanteau A portmanteau word, or portmanteau (, ) is a blend of wordsHollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywood, ...

". The strategy is predominantly allied to

filmmaking Filmmaking (film production) is the process by which a motion picture is produced. Filmmaking involves a number of complex and discrete stages, starting with an initial story, idea, or commission. It then continues through screenwriting, casti ...

for the

Cinema of the United States The cinema of the United States, consisting mainly of major film studios (also known as Hollywood) along with some independent film, has had a large effect on the global film industry since the early 20th century. The dominant style of Ame ...

and the

Cinema of Europe Cinema of Europe refers to the film industries and films produced in the continent of Europe. Europeans were the pioneers of the motion picture industry, with several innovative engineers and artists making an impact especially at the end of th ...

Etymology

Olive The olive, botanical name ''Olea europaea'', meaning 'European olive' in Latin, is a species of small tree or shrub in the family Oleaceae, found traditionally in the Mediterranean Basin. When in shrub form, it is known as ''Olea europaea'' ...

wood' is historically prized for its durability, colour, high combustion temperature and grain patterns. It’s a tree that derives from the coastal areas of the

eastern Mediterranean Eastern Mediterranean is a loose definition of the eastern approximate half, or third, of the Mediterranean Sea, often defined as the countries around the Levantine Sea. It typically embraces all of that sea's coastal zones, referring to communi ...

, where the island of Cyprus is located. The

Ancient Greeks Ancient Greece ( el, Ἑλλάς, Hellás) was a northeastern Mediterranean civilization, existing from the Greek Dark Ages of the 12th–9th centuries BC to the end of classical antiquity ( AD 600), that comprised a loose collection of cultu ...

farmed and spread it across the

Mediterranean Basin In biogeography, the Mediterranean Basin (; also known as the Mediterranean Region or sometimes Mediterranea) is the region of lands around the Mediterranean Sea that have mostly a Mediterranean climate, with mild to cool, rainy winters and w ...

. The term ‘Olivewood’ is a portmanteau of "Olive" (wood/tree) and "Hollywood" that syndicates in meaning and significance.

History

Cyprus world cinema film production dates back to the 1950s, soon after

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, with They Who Dare as first film noted on location on

IMDb IMDb (an abbreviation of Internet Movie Database) is an online database of information related to films, television series, home videos, video games, and streaming content online – including cast, production crew and personal biographies, ...

. More than 273 titles are credited on location since then, with the latest being Jiu Jitsu, the sci-fi martial arts franchise from

Dimitri Logothetis Dimitri Logothetis is a Greek-American actor, director, comedian, and producer. Early life Logothetis was born in Athens, Greece, and immigrated to the United States of America at the age of six with his mother, Anna, and his father, Euthymios. ...

, starring Nicolas Cage,

Marie Avgeropoulos Marie Avgeropoulos (Greek language, Greek: Μαρία "Μαρί" Αυγεροπούλου, born 17 June 1986) is a Canadian actress and model. She is best known for her role as Octavia Blake on The CW's post-apocalyptic science fiction, post-ap ...

Frank Grillo Frank Anthony Grillo (born June 8, 1965) is an American actor and martial artist. He played Brock Rumlow in the Marvel Cinematic Universe films '' Captain America: The Winter Soldier'' (2014), '' Captain America: Civil War'' (2016), '' Avengers: ...

Alain Moussi Alain Moussi is a Canadian actor, stuntman and martial artist. He plays the lead role of Kurt Sloane in the reboot of Kickboxer (film series), ''Kickboxer'' series, ''Kickboxer: Vengeance'' (2016) and ''Kickboxer: Retaliation'' (2018), a role tha ...

and

Tony Jaa Tatchakorn Yeerum ( th, ทัชชกร ยีรัมย์, , ; formerly Phanom Yeerum ( th, พนม ยีรัมย์, ); born 5 February 1976), better known internationally as Tony Jaa and in Thailand as Jaa Phanom ( th, จา � ...

. The island is currently considered an up-and-coming film location, especially after the launch of new incentives and a Film Commission. Cyprus climate, landscapes, local talent, infrastructure and financial incentives has boosted its

film industry The film industry or motion picture industry comprises the technological and commercial institutions of filmmaking, i.e., film production companies, film studios, cinematography, animation, film production, screenwriting, pre-production, post ...

more meaningfully in the past few years.

Climate

With predictability of weather being a key advantage for film production (340 days of sunshine year round) Cypriot climate becomes a significant production element. The continuum of natural light derives from the fact that Cyprus and

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

are very close to the same latitude. The climate is defined by hot and dry summer from May to October, and a mild green winter with occasional rain showers from December to February. The distinctions are clear between the two main seasons, which are separated by a short autumn and spring.

Locations

Labelled as a natural film studio, the island has a diverse set of film locations and dissimilar morphology. Cyprus incorporates a historical and cultural landscape ranging from archaeological sites to antiquated villages, ancient city kingdoms, Greek amphitheatres, Byzantine art, 16th century Venetian architecture and modern European cities such as

Limassol Limassol (; el, Λεμεσός, Lemesós ; tr, Limasol or ) is a city on the southern coast of Cyprus and capital of the district with the same name. Limassol is the second largest urban area in Cyprus after Nicosia, with an urban population ...

. Its long coastline, sandy beaches, light houses, ports, as well as pristine

Mediterranean The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on the e ...

waters have been shot in various movie productions. The island incorporates flat plains that look like desert in the summer only to transform with rich green vegetation during the winter.

Troodos Mountains Troodos (sometimes spelled Troödos; el, Τρόοδος ; tr, Trodos Dağları) is the largest mountain range in Cyprus, located in roughly the center of the island. Its highest peak is Mount Olympus ( el, Όλυμπος), also known as Chion ...

provides peaks covered in snow, hilltops, valleys, waterfalls, traditional villages and vineyards. Salt lakes in

Larnaca Larnaca ( el, Λάρνακα ; tr, Larnaka) is a city on the south east coast of Cyprus and the capital of the district of the same name. It is the third-largest city in the country, after Nicosia and Limassol, with a metro population of 144 ...

are packed with flamingos in the winter while the

Akamas Akamas (Greek: , tr, Akama), is a promontory and cape at the northwest extremity of Cyprus with an area of 230 square kilometres. Ptolemy described it as a thickly wooded headland, divided into two by summits mountain rangerising towards the ...

Nature Reserve is protected from any human activities. Notably, the island is the mythological birthplace of

Aphrodite Aphrodite ( ; grc-gre, Ἀφροδίτη, Aphrodítē; , , ) is an ancient Greek goddess associated with love, lust, beauty, pleasure, passion, and procreation. She was syncretized with the Roman goddess . Aphrodite's major symbols include ...

Inter-connectivity

The Republic has two deep-sea ports (

& Port of Larnaca) and two international airports (

and

Paphos Paphos ( el, Πάφος ; tr, Baf) is a coastal city in southwest Cyprus and the capital of Paphos District. In classical antiquity, two locations were called Paphos: Old Paphos, today known as Kouklia, and New Paphos. The current city of Pap ...

) with more than 70 airlines operating, serving 120 destinations across 40 countries. Located at the crossroads of three continents, it is a short flight away from many prominent transit hubs. In 2018, Cypriot airports served a total of 11 million passengers. Direct flights to all major

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...

an cities are a key factor for productions with multiple locations. The short distances help filming dissimilar locations and reduce production times. Snow-white mountains to sunny beaches might take an hour of drive in an English designated road network. Advanced infrastructure by road, air and sea is supported with logistical solutions and services.

Shooting Permits

Shooting Permits is a requirement for most purposes. Film Producers must liaison with the key Government Agencies depending on the necessity: * Department of Civil Aviation * Deputy Ministry of Tourism * Department of Antiquities * Ministry of Health * National Guard *

Cyprus Police The Cyprus Police (Greek: ), is the National Police Service of the Republic of Cyprus and is under the Ministry of Justice and Public Order since 1993. The duties and responsibilities of the Cyprus Police are set out in the amended Police Law ( ...

Genres

Popular commercial genres since the 1950s include action, comedy, sci-fi, romance, drama and melodrama along with notable documentaries from the

BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board ex ...

and the

National Geographic ''National Geographic'' (formerly the ''National Geographic Magazine'', sometimes branded as NAT GEO) is a popular American monthly magazine published by National Geographic Partners. Known for its photojournalism, it is one of the most widely ...

Incentives

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

References

{{Reflist Film production districts