Netflix and Indonesian Film Board partner to provide US$500K fund for film workers

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Netflix has partnered with with the Indonesian Film Board (BPI) to provide a US$500,000 fund to support Indonesian film workers most impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic; as the health crisis continues to disrupt lives and livelihoods. The fund is part of the US$150 million Hardship Fund, launched by Netflix last year, to help the creative community through hard times, especially to below-the-line film workers around the world.

The financial support, which will be given as individual grants, will provide short-term relief to support basic living costs for those who are most impacted, and allow these individuals to embark on more creative projects. To thoroughly assess the Hardship Fund’s recipients, BPI will form an independent committee involving 18 film associations that will conduct reviews from September to November 2021. It will be facilitated by the Indonesian government as well.

Netflix said in a media statement that the crisis has reminded it of how important every single element is in the creation chain, and hopes that the extension of the Hardship Fund to Indonesia will provide support to the the country's entertainment industry workers whose lives have been directly affected.

The Hardship Fund launched by Netflix was in addition to the two weeks pay it had previously committed to the crew and cast on productions that it was forced to suspend last week. As Netflix wanted to support the broader film and television industry, and not just workers on its own productions, it allocated US$30 million of the fund to third parties and non-profits providing emergency relief to out-of-work crew and cast in the countries where it has a large production base.

Separately, Netflix launched an online shop earlier this year. Titled "Netflix.shop", the online store will release exclusive limited editions of apparel and lifestyle products related to its shows and the brand on a regular basis. Among the items released during the online store's launch were streetwear and action figures based on anime series Yasuke and Eden, as well as limited-edition apparel and decorative items inspired by Lupin in collaboration with the Musée du Louvre. Other upcoming products include those inspired by The Witcher and Stranger Things, as well as new Netflix logo-wear from Japanese fashion house BEAMS. The Netflix.shop is currently only available in the US but will expand to other countries in the coming months.

The streaming platform also celebrated Asian and Asian American individuals in May this year, by publishing a video on LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube, with the caption: "We are brave, we are strong, we are more than a stereotype. Our stories have no boundaries. Today and every day, celebrate who we are." The video featured celebrities such as Lana Condor, Tan France, and Daniel Dae Kim.

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