All news

Over 500 film companies to receive government support in pandemic

Cinemas closed at the end of March, in Moscow, they were allowed to return to work only from August 1

MOSCOW, November 20. / TASS /. Financial support worth 4.2 bln rubles ($55.1 mln) from the Russian government will be issued to nearly 500 cinema organizations, according to the information posted on the Russian Ministry of Culture web site.

Earlier, the adviser to the President of the Russian Federation on culture Vladimir Tolstoy said that by the end of the year the government plans to allocate 4.2 billion rubles from the Reserve Fund to support the film industry. As specified in the Ministry of Culture, the government of the Russian Federation approved this proposal of the ministry.

"In the context of the restrictions caused by the spread of the new coronavirus infection, this decision will support the film industry - from cinemas to filmmakers. It is assumed that assistance will be provided through the federal Fund for Social and Economic Support of Domestic Cinematography (Film Fund) to more than 500 organizations," the statement said. The ministry noted that these measures will compensate for part of the debt liabilities accumulated in connection with the suspension of the activities of organizations, as well as part of the lost income in the face of a fall in the volume of the national film distribution market and a decrease in cinema attendance due to the restrictions imposed.

Cinemas closed at the end of March, by the Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Tatyana Golikova due to the situation with the spread of the coronavirus. In Moscow, they were allowed to return to work only from August 1. During the period of self-isolation, film studios also suspended their activities. Filmmakers were able to return to filming in July.