Polymnia Papadopoulou-Sardeli
Director – Producer – Line Producer
Polymnia Papadopoulou-Sardeli was born in 1991 and raised in the picturesque town of Kranidi in the Peloponnese. Her passion for cinema emerged early, leading her to study Filmmaking at AKMI Institute (2010) and later at New York College of Athens, where she shaped her creative perspective and established a solid technical foundation.
During her studies, she distinguished herself as a First Assistant Director in several acclaimed short films, including:
— Prosefhi by Thanasis Neofotistos (37th Drama International Short Film Festival – Golden Dionysus),
— Nipenthes by Jon Simvonis (39th Drama ISFF – Awards for Cinematography & Art Design).
In 2016, she directed her own short film, Vithisma, which received the “Motivation Award” from the Greek Film Centre at the 39th Drama Festival and the Best Short Film Award at the Seanema Film Festival in Kefalonia.
Experience in Production Management
Polymnia has built a solid, multifaceted career as a production manager and line producer, taking on demanding projects across the full spectrum of audiovisual production: short and feature films, documentaries, international service work and high-spec commercial campaigns.
Her recent work as Production Manager includes:
— Survivors (documentary) – Marni Films
— Gorgones (short film) by Dimitris Tsakaleas & Lida Barzidioti – Atalante Productions
— The Judas Tree (feature) by Christos Houliaras – Marni Films / co-production with Kalibu Productions
— Tropic of the Mourning Gecko (feature) by Stavros Markoulakis – Atalante Productions
— When the Music Stopped (short) by Savvas Stavrou – Marni Films
— Honeymoon by Alkis Papastathopoulos
— Nothing Holier Than a Dolphin by Isavella Margara
— 5 p.m. Seaside by Valentin Stejskal (45th DIFF – Golden Dionysus & “Golden Athena”)
She has also worked as a producer on:
— Don’t Try This in the Woods by Emma Doxiadi (Everybodies)
Founder of Kalibu Productions
Driven by a need to build her own creative ecosystem, Polymnia founded Kalibu Productions, through which she has delivered international production services for projects such as:
— Euro 2004 for Bet365
— Windy City Rehab for HGTV
— Hunter Gatherer for Croatian National Television
— Call of the Blue for Yamaha
— House of Trouble for Aerites Contemporary Dance Company
Kalibu is also actively producing and co-producing new film and artistic works, including:
— The Judas Tree by Christos Houliaras (Marni Films – co-producer Kalibu)
— Rest in Pieces by Kleopatra Haritou (Kalibu – in production)
— Baby Pink Slut by Mary Bouli (Kalibu – in development)
— Stay Awake, a video project for Onassis Stegi celebrating 20 years of Athens Pride
Innovation, Sustainability & Vision
In recent years, Polymnia has devoted herself to innovation in audiovisual production through sustainability. She has trained with the Albert BAFTA program and several specialised European workshops, gaining advanced expertise in carbon management, green-set protocols, and the implementation of sustainable production methodologies.
Together with collaborator Emma Doxiadi, she is developing a comprehensive digital sustainability platform for the Greek audiovisual sector, offering:
– guidelines for green filmmaking in Greece,
– tools for tracking and reducing environmental impact,
– educational resources for professionals and companies,
– customised best practices for fiction, documentary, advertising and festival productions.
Beyond technical expertise, Polymnia is deeply committed to storytelling with real social relevance. She seeks to champion stories that are inclusive, diverse, environmentally conscious, and unafraid to speak truth. Stories that challenge norms, expand empathy, and leave a lasting impact on audiences and the industry.