06-05-2020

Netflix Gives 551,000 EUR to Support Polish Audiovisual Workers

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    WARSAW: The Polish Producers Alliance (KIPA) and Netflix are creating a fund to assist the employees of the Polish film and television industry who are most affected by the suspension of work due to the COVID-19 epidemic. Netflix will donate 551,000 EUR / 2.5 m PLN towards the fund's launch.

    The fund is expected to support the crews in the television and film sector who are most affected by the pandemic, who often work as freelancers and are currently unable to be professionally active due to the almost complete halt of work on film sets. The assistance will be available to all film departments: people working on stage design, make-up, costumes, and sound, as well as to cinematographers, camera assistants, focus pullers, gaffers, storyboard authors and many other professionals representing the so-called below the line. The fund created by the Polish Producers Alliance will operate under the slogan "Producers help the crews". 

    “These measures will help us to provide support for the most vulnerable employees in the audiovisual industry in the face of this crisis, in addition to our previous activities. One of the basic values of KIPA is solidarity and we understand that Netflix feels they are a part of our market as they continue implementing projects in Poland. Hence, the natural move is to allocate support for freelancers from the television and cinema industry in these times, which are very difficult for the media and culture. This is an important gesture,” Alicja Grawon-Jaksik, President of the Polish Producers Alliance, said in an official statement.

    Globally, Netflix created a 150 m USD fund in the second half of March to support film and television makers affected by the coronavirus. Most of these funds will be allocated to help people working on Netflix productions, while 30 m USD is planned to be transferred to industry organisations around the world, including the USA, Canada, the UK, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, India, Brazil, Colombia, and Mexico.