Amazon Prime Video and Amazon Studios have contributed $603,000 (N229.8m) to a fund to support workers in the German entertainment industry. Those to benefit from the fund include roadies, make-up artists, gaffers, and sound technicians affected by the COVID-19 crisis.
The donation, announced Thursday, will go to Backstage Heroes, an initiative launched by German magazine Stern and supported by such German entertainment personalities as actor/director Michael Bully Herbig, actress Veronica Ferres, and singer Nico Santos.
The money is earmarked to help those who work behind the scenes at movie productions, concerts, and other events that have been delayed or cancelled due to the COVID-19 crisis.
According to Hollywoodreporters.com, while the German government has provided support for many industries hit by the pandemic, behind-the-scenes workers, the majority of whom are self-employed, have been largely overlooked.
“No show can be staged, no movie can be filmed and no concert can be held without the people working backstage to make it all happen. Many of these backstage heroes are working project-based and have been hit hard by the COVID-19 crisis that brought most artistic endeavours to a halt. This is a difficult, challenging time and we are aware of the hardship many people are going through. As we gear up for production on a number of Amazon Original series in Germany and across Europe in the coming months, we’re committed to continuing to support the broader creative community through this crisis,” said Philip Pratt, Head of German Amazon Originals for Prime Video in a statement
Amazon’s donation kicks off the Backstage Heroes project and is part of Amazon Prime’s $6 million commitment to support the European TV and film production creative community through the COVID-19 pandemic.
Donations already announced include a $1.2 million (€1 million) donation in Italy for the COVID-19 emergency fund, Scena Unita, a $1.34 million (£1 million) donation in the U.K. for the Film and TV Charity’s COVID-19 Response, and a $670,000 (£500,000) donation to the Theatre Community Fund, launched by Olivia Colman, Phoebe Waller-Bridge and Francesca Moody to provide hardship grants to theatre workers and freelancers across the U.K.
Affected persons in Germany can apply for an immediate $1,340 (€1,000) aid grant from Backstage Heroes, with an honorary jury quickly and un-bureaucratically deciding which applicants to accept.
