The Ministry of Culture will support the audio-visual industry with 100 million Czech crowns. The State Fund for Cinematography will distribute the money. Lubomír Zaorálek, The Minister of Culture, will submit the proposal to the government next Monday, October 19.
Film industry workers and producers have already criticized the first part of this program since the distribution of the subsidies is selective. The fund is supposed to support the best work of domestic cinematography based on the decision of the board. Producers and film workers argue that it should support the commercial sphere, which exists without the government subsidies, too.
In recent years, the audio-visual industry made 30 billion Czech crowns. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Association of Audio-visual Producers (APA) suffered a decline of 75 percent. Vratislav Šlajer, the APA Chairman, believes that this program will help the industry to survive and make up to 15 billion Czech crowns.
This support program was approved by the government this Wednesday. Cultural workers who are related to the artistic industry can apply for this subsidy and receive a one-time pay out which is 60 000 Czech crowns. Companies have a right to reimbursement of up to 10 million Czech crowns. Workers and companies can submit their applications via www.mpo.cz/kultura
Robin Čumpelík, the Ministry of Industry and Trade, said that the original program had 900 million Czech crowns, and 150 millions were used already. The rest of the money, 750 million, will be included in the second part of the program.
Organizations that suffered from the cancellation of the events, such as theaters, music clubs, and non-commercial organizations working in the culture industry, can apply to cover their expenses. The entrepreneurs were not included in the first part of the program. However, they can apply for the coverage of the in vain expenditures from October 2019 until November 2020.
