Hanoi (VNS/VNA) - The Government has asked relevant bodies to supportthe Vietnamese cinema industry to overcome the crisis causedby COVID-19. 

According to a document signed by Vice Chairwoman of the Government OfficeMai Thi Thu Van, the Ministry of Finance and the State Bank ofVietnam will consider helping businesses in the film industry atthe request of the Vietnam Association of Film Promotion and Development(VFDA). 

VFDA Chairwoman Ngo Phuong Lan had previously sent a proposal to PrimeMinister Nguyen Xuan Phuc to support film production, distribution andscreening businesses which had been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The pandemic was having a serious and long-lasting impact on the filmindustry, Lan said.

"A number of film studios and enterprises are in a difficultsituation," she said. "Some of them are on the verge ofbankruptcy," she added.

Cinemas have been closed since the start of the pandemic, but owners still haveto pay rent. Plus, some film releases have been postponed.

Filming has also ground to a halt as most sets need a hundred ormore people to shoot. 

“The Government's policy is to support small businesses," Lan said. 

"Vietnamese film businesses account for nearly 30 percent of thedomestic market share, so they can be considered small businesses thatdo not have the financial resources to be able to cope with thecrisis in the long term.

“We have also seen in other countries and territories such as Singapore,Hong Kong, Germany, France and the US policies to support culture and artdevelopment, including the film industry."

Lan has asked the Government to give businesses in the film industry a taxbreak and defer individual income tax payments in 2020. 

The association has also asked for employee social insurance to bedeferred and preferential interest rates from banks. 

Entertainment venues such as cinemas, theatres and bars have not been allowedto reopen despite social distancing being eased. 

“Even if cinemas and theatres are allowed to reopen this month or in June,there will be no audiences. People will still avoid crowded places," Lansaid. 

Many Vietnamese films and some Hollywood blockbusters have delayed theirreleases to the end of the year. There will be very few films to screen. 
Thefilm industry will recover much slower than other industries, she added.

Vietnamesefilms such as Bi Mat Cua Gio (Secretsof The Wind), Truyen Thuyet Ve Quan Tien (Legendof Quan Tien) and Trang Ti (ChildMaster) are among the films to have delayed their release dates to nextyear./.