Stelana Kliris: “Overwhelmed, humbled and just very, very happy”

Stelana Kliris, the South African-Cypriot writer, director and producer behind Find Me Falling, is basking in the resounding success of her first official feature film.

Find Me Falling is the first ever Cypriot feature to stream worldwide on Netflix, topping the Netflix Global 10 list in its very first week of streaming.

Here she tells us how it feels to have her hard work pay off, explains her Cypriot roots and talks about the next feature she will be filming in Cyprus, on a subject matter that is close to her heart.

I would like to start off by congratulating you on your film, Find Me Falling, reaching number 1 on the Netflix Global 10, in its very first week of streaming, having been viewed 14,400,000 times already, just five days after it was released (19 July)! How do you feel right now?

Overwhelmed, humbled and just very, very happy. People have been so enthusiastic and supportive and knowing they enjoyed our film makes my heart full.

Can you tell us a bit about yourself? Where are you from and what is your connection with Cyprus? How did you get into writing and producing films?

My parents are from Cyprus, from Louvara and Rizokarpaso, but I was born and raised in South Africa. I have been living in Cyprus since 2010. I have wanted to be involved in film since as long as I can remember. I have been working in the industry for the last 20 years, originally in production and slowly writing, directing and producing my first shorts and eventually features. I opened my company Meraki Films in 2016 and “Find Me Falling” is our first official feature film… not a bad start!

What was the creative process behind Find Me Falling? How did you come up with the idea and why did you decide to film the movie in Cyprus?

FMF was actually inspired by an article I read about Don Ritchie who lived at a notorious suicide hotspot in Australia known as 'the Gap'. He was a kind man who saved many lives by reaching out to people who would go there to jump. I wondered what it would look like if a misanthrope lived in a spot like that and while it's an extreme device, the purpose was to show the importance of human connection and looking out for each other. This is how John is able to find his humanity again. Cyprus was the obvious choice for filming because this is my home and I want to see our local industry thriving.

How did it end up being picked up by Netflix? What was it like to receive that phone call?

Our sales agent The Exchange held a private screening for distributors before the American Film Market (AFM) last November and Netflix came on board almost immediately. What is remarkable about this is that for months before, various industry insiders had told us that the market was so bad and with all the strikes happening, we wouldn't be able to sell the film, so for a while we thought the film was not going to get out there, but it wasn't the case at all and we were overjoyed when the Netflix deal happened. I got the news from my two awesome US producers Steve Shapiro and Keith Arnold and it was one of the best calls I ever received! It's the first Cypriot film to screen on Netflix - it has been translated to over 30 languages and has gone out to 190 countries to a platform with over 260 million subscribers and for it to reach global #1 (English-language film) after just 4 days is just mind-blowing!

What is the procedure behind securing a slot on Netflix?

I think I partially answered this above. It’s a big challenge and very competitive, as they don’t often acquire many finished films. A big key to our success, aside from the film itself, was having Harry Connick Jr. as our lead. From that point onward, the process of delivering and launching the film with Netflix has been very collaborative and such a big learning experience. It’s incredible to work with them; a whole other level.

Did you face any challenges on the island, for example in securing funding, finding locations, etc.?

Our film faced many challenges, like working during Covid for example, but none specific to Cyprus. It was a definite challenge to secure the permit for the cliff which is an environmentally-protected area, but we found everyone to be collaborative. I have to also say that we had great support from the government of Cyprus on this project. Aside from our wonderful US co-producer Jupiter Peak Productions, this film was funded by the Cyprus Deputy Ministry of Culture and was also supported by the Cyprus Film Commission's generous rebate scheme, which offers a 45% cash rebate for film productions in Cyprus, one of the most competitive in the world. We hope that our film is now a proof of concept for what we're capable of in Cyprus.

Do you think Cyprus has real potential as a filming destination?

Absolutely! Aside from our lovely, professional English-speaking crews, Cyprus itself is like a small film studio with great weather and a variety of locations in close proximity. In our case, we shot mainly on the coast of Peyia and in the old town of Kaimakli in Nicosia, which were both gorgeous. We are still a developing film industry for sure, but with the above-mentioned support from our national fund and the film incentives, I believe our industry can attract more productions and grow organically – as long as everything is managed well, from the financing right through to the production aspects. Our reputation is everything and foreign producers need to leave with good impressions.

Are you planning on producing any more movies in Cyprus? Would you recommend it to other producers?

Yes of course! As long as they have a strong local production team to run things on the ground for them. From my side, my next feature is a romantic drama called "Apart from Her" set between Cyprus and South Africa. It follows my parents' generation who left Cyprus during the war for South Africa and all that meant. It's a real passion project for me and we start shooting in Cyprus in November.