Netflix extends European crisis support

The coronavirus pandemic is having a significant impact on the TV industry

Netflix and the Netherlands Film Fund have established a relief fund for productions affected by the Covid-19 pandemic and issued a call for others to support it.

The streamer will make €1m (US$1.1m) available in the Netherlands to launch the fund, which is aimed at film and TV productions and designed to help the workers hit hardest by the pandemic.

The production of films and series in the Netherlands, like other countries around the world, has been severely affected by the pandemic. Productions are at a standstill and the continuity of the film and TV industry as a whole is under great pressure.

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.

The partnership with Netflix will provide the Netherlands Film Fund with more options to support affected productions without putting pressure on its contributions to future film projects.

The exact criteria will be drafted next week and published on the Netherlands Film Fund’s website. Both parties said they hoped others would join the effort to support the hardest-hit workers.

The creation of this fund is part of Netflix’s wider efforts to help TV and film workers during the crisis, with the global streamer pledging US$100m to support workers in the creative sector.

The majority of this will go towards supporting Netflix productions through the crisis, while US$15m has been set aside for emergency funds, such as the one in the Netherlands, as well as countries such as the UK, Italy, Spain and France.

Bero Beyer, director of the Netherlands Film Fund, said: “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 for Netflix’s support for film and TV professionals alongside the support the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science just announced for the broader cultural industry.”

Lina Brouneus, director of coproductions and acquisitions at Netflix, added: “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 are vital to the success of Netflix. We want to do our part to help those who most need our support in these unprecedented times.”