The Ionian Islands Film Office in the metaverse: presenting part of the work of HAL’s Gamification Hub at the “Sustainability and Cinema at the service of promoting and protecting the natural and cultural environment” One-day Conference

As part of the One-day Conference “Sustainability and Cinema at the service of promoting and protecting the natural and cultural environment”, held on 16 November, 2022, Dr. Iakovos Panagopoulos and Associate Professor Ioannis Deliyannis gave a presentation entitled “The Prefecture of Ionian Islands’ Film Office in the Metaverse: Creating a Sustainable Environment for International Film Productions”. The speech in particular and the Conference as a whole served as the first official presentation of the Ionian Islands Film Office. At the same time it provided a look into the work of the HAL’s Gamification Hub, and how these two bodies promote sustainability while at the same time encouraging filmmakers and tourists alike to come to the Ionian Islands.

Using the renowned platform, Spatial, researchers at the Hub have extended the Ionian Film Office onto the metaverse. What this extension entails is a new, virtual version of the Film Office, designed in very much the same way a physical space would be, with different rooms serving a variety of functions. Therein the Film Office staff can hold meetings with film and TV industry professionals interested in producing movies or series in locations across the Ionian Prefecture. These sessions are held privately so as not to compromise any details about the planned projects. Apart from the meetings themselves, virtual visits to the Ionian Islands Film Office also offer visitors images of prospective locations, information about them as well as details about international productions that have already been made in the Ionian Islands.  

At the same time the metaverse edition of the Ionian Islands Film Office is open to thematic visitors (e.g. screen tourists who wish to visit famous film locations) or other tourists and/or tourism professionals looking for information about what the Ionian Islands offer in that respect. Using the same virtual environment and abundance of location-based content described above, tourists, tour operators and other members/clients of the tourism industry can navigate the Film Office for their own use, e.g. for organizing trips to the Ionian Islands, booking functions at public or private sites (including monuments, marinas, villas etc.) and finding the available local businesses and professionals who will collaborate in and support all of these purposes. So, along with film and TV production companies, the metaverse edition of the Ionian Islands Film Office is also highly advantageous for the tourism/hospitality sector and the local economy.

As mentioned earlier, Dr. Panagopoulos and Associate Professor Deliyannis’ speech was held in the framework of the One-Day Conference “Sustainability and Cinema at the service of promoting and protecting the natural and cultural environment”. The conference was organized by the Prefecture of Ionian Islands in tandem with the Ionian University and held in the city of Corfu on 16 November 2022. Its aim was to raise awareness about the concept of sustainable cinema, in terms of green practices in the actual filmmaking process, as well as in terms of introducing innovative ways of communicating with professionals and of attracting projects while at the same time leaving less of an environmental footprint. The conference was partly occasioned by the film The Eye, which is currently being shot in Corfu and whose filmmaking methodology also promotes environmental sustainability.  

Following an opening speech by the Prefect of the Ionian Islands, Ms. Rodi Kratsa-Tsangaropoulou, and greetings by the Mayors of the Municipalities of Corfu Mss./Messrs. Meropi Ydraiou, Georgios Macheimaris, Konstantinos Lessis, Spyridon Vlachopoulos and the Rector of the Ionian University, Professor Andreas Floros, a Collaboration Memorandum of Understanding was signed by all of the above institutions, pertaining to the work of the Ionian Islands Film Office and its promotion of Corfiot arts and the protection of the local natural and cultural environment.

The main part of the Conference included a presentation by members of the production team of The Eye, Mss. Melanie Dicks and Jess Hines, as well as their collaborator, Mr. Paul Evans, explaining the process for ensuring a sustainable, eco-friendly approach to the making of the film. Following Dr. Panagopoulos and Associate Professor Deliyannis’ aforementioned speech, Assistant Professors of the Department of Tourism of the Ionian University, Dr. Naoum Mylonas, and Dr. Alkmini Grijali, gave the speeches “The effect of the Creative Industry on Sustainable Development” and “Screen Tourism and Location Development” respectively, both expanding on the conjunction and interaction between the creative industries –more specifically Film and TV-, tourism and sustainability, and how each of the three can help promote the other two.

The Conference ended with a Masterclass by Greenshoot, the company that facilitates the adoption and operation of green practices in the context of the shooting a film or TV series. Greenshoot’s projects include the abovementioned film The Eye, currently being made in Corfu.