Coronavirus has brought much of the world to a standstill! The pandemic has had a sweeping effect on public health, businesses, and numerous industries. In this case, the cinema industry is no different! Back in March, Tom Hanks, revealed to the world that he had tested positive for the virus while filming in Australia.
Starting from there, it had the ripple effects around the world – shutting down theaters, halting cinema shooting, delays in releases, and more. This had implications on those who make a living producing and distributing movies, music, and more.
Recently, Netflix and The Netherlands Film Fund announced a new relief fund for Film and TV productions to help the hardest-hit workers affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. In this regard, Netflix will make €1 million available in the Netherlands to launch the fund.
Bero Beyer, Director of the Film Fund:
“This is fantastic news. As a Fund, our goal is to continue the productivity of the Dutch film world and to ensure that the entire chain is maintained in such a way that beautiful Dutch productions can be seen this autumn and later. We’re very excited about Netflix’s support for film and TV professionals alongside the support of the Ministry of Education, Culture, and Science just announced for the broader cultural industry.”
Since the productions are at a standstill and films/series in the Netherlands has been severely affected by the effects of the COVID-19 virus, the entertainment industry as a whole is under great pressure. According to the Netherlands Film Fund, the fund – which will be administered by producers of the affected productions – will go to vulnerable freelancers, filmmakers, cast and crew and other film professionals involved.
Lina Brouneus, Director of Co-Production & Acquisition at Netflix:
“We are grateful that we are able to work with The Netherlands Film Fund to support the most affected employees in the TV and film industry. The creative talent in the Netherlands and our local partners with whom we create content together is vital to the success of Netflix. We want to do our part to help those who most need our support in these unprecedented times.”
As a result, this partnership with Netflix will provide the Film Fund with more possibilities to support affected productions without putting pressure on contributions for future film projects. This is a part of Netflix’s wider efforts to help TV and film workers, where it announced a fund of 100 million dollars for workers in the creative sector.
Main image credits: Netflix
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