COVID-19 special act and the film industry
Over the weekend, a draft amendment to the so-called “new legislation” appeared: COVID-19 special act. It also applies to the film industry.
1. change the definition of film in The Law on Cinematography – screening in cinemas is no longer necessary for the recognition of a work as a film in the case where, due to circumstances not attributable to fault, it has not been screened in the cinema, this excludes doubts about the settlement of the work acquired so far PISF grants (producers can decide during the epidemic on so-called non-cinema premieres);
2. cinemas that do not generate income are exempt from submitting the so-called cinema reports;
3. extending the deadline for submitting applications for incentives (12 months before the start of the work) and the deadline for starting the supported work (12 months from the date of application);
4. extension of the deadline for the incentive agreement (up to 3 months);
5. exemption from the obligation to provide a service contract for individual productions when the applicant does not have such an option, the bill is currently under public consultation.
It is impossible to hide the impression that the proposed solutions only symbolically meet the needs of the industry, especially in the case of productions located in pictures.
Statistics regarding the discontinued photos can be followed here.