The Singapore Association of Motion Picture Professionals (SAMPP) announced the launch of a $40,000 SAMPP Covid-19 Relief Fund to support Singapore-based motion picture freelancers whose livelihoods have been severely affected by the coronavirus pandemic.  

SAMPP has initially put together $20,000 that will offer grants between $300 to $500 to support the film, television, new broadcast media and wider motion picture community through this challenging period. To support the initiative, IMDA will be contributing a matching $20,000 to SAMPP’s Covid-19 Relief fund to rally the community and encourage more people to lend assistance for those in need. 

As we have received several enquiries regarding donating to our fund, we have decided to partner with Ray of Hope to collect further donations from our wider community and public at large.

SAMPP exco team
Jasmine Ng, Anthony Chen, Kat Goh and Lim Ting Li

Covid 19’s Impact on the Film, Television and Broadcast Industry

With the Covid-19 pandemic escalating in Singapore and around the world, the media industry has been hard hit by the cancellation and postponement of projects and productions in the past and coming months. 

And with the “circuit breaker” announcements made by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong about restrictions on non-essential services beginning 7 April, even though these are necessary actions for the health and safety of everyone, the impact on work for media practitioners will be the most severe yet.

An ongoing survey by SAMPP found that more than 60 per cent of these freelancers worked five days at most last month. Also, 60% of the respondents are still owed fees for work done before March.

Then in March, there were restrictions on the number of people who could gather, and people had to scramble to reconfigure work as most dramas have more than 10 people when cast and crew are included.

Now in April, no one is permitted to work, apart from government-commissioned critical content work, and the few lucky enough to have projects planned for April have now had to scrap those shoots too.

The survey also shows more than 70 per cent of respondents had no work lined up for this month.

About one-quarter of the respondents said they are seeking alternatives that can be done from home, such as pre-and post-production work.

More than 70 per cent also said they had no work lined up for next month, when the restriction on non-essential services is expected to be lifted.

While the government has announced measures to help businesses and households and has promised more targeted measures for freelancers, media practitioners are experiencing great hardship right now in these unprecedented times.

SAMPP recognises the financial pressures that the community, many who are either freelancers or small businesses, are going through at the moment, and has set up the relief fund to support the hardest hit members of our community who have been directly affected by the loss of jobs and income as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Applicants need to be registered members of SAMPP. In light of the current crisis, membership fees will be waived for the current year and applicants will need to register before applying. 

Applications will be vetted and administered by SAMPP, but decisions will be made by an external panel including a representative from Ray of Hope. Grants will be awarded based on the assessment of individual needs and details are available on SAMPP’s official website www.sampp.org.sg

Establishing this Covid-19 Relief Fund is part of a wider plan to support the community during this difficult period. SAMPP has also set up a dedicated COVID-19 Resource webpage containing available funding support and an FAQ relevant to the media industry on its website. Anyone requiring further assistance can benefit from more support via a Callback Request.

The SAMPP Covid-19 Relief Fund received media attention on the 10th of April, when the Fund was launched. Read more here: https://www.straitstimes.com/business/40k-covid-19-fund-to-help-hard-hit-film-tv-freelancers

Grant Application

Grant amount

SAMPP COVID-19 Relief Fund offers grants between $300-500 to eligible new and existing members. 

ELIGIBILITY

Applicants need to be registered members of SAMPP. As above, memberships are free till end of 2020. The applications will be vetted and administered by SAMPP, but decisions will be made by an external panel of representatives including one from a social sector organisation.

To apply, please fill in the application form and email it to admin@sampp.org.sg with the subject head ‘SAMPP COVID-19 RELIEF FUND APPLICATION’ with the following documents:

1. Proof of Original Income
2. Proof of Loss of Jobs/Income

Due to our limited funding, we are looking to focus on the most needy members of our community, particularly:

1. Those struggling with daily living costs such as food and housing
2. Those struggling with medical and health costs in the family 
3. Those with dependents who will be affected by the loss of income
4. Families where both income earners have been hard hit by the pandemic

ABOUT SAMPP

The Singapore Association of Motion Picture Professionals (SAMPP) is an association for motion picture professionals comprising film, television and other new broadcast media in Singapore. The Association aims to be a platform for discussion and engagement for our industry, whilst developing, nurturing and uplifting the skills, professionalism and image of our motion picture professionals.

ABOUT RAY OF HOPE

100% of your donations to Ray of Hope go to people in need. We do not take a cut from the funds. We even cover 3rd party credit card charges that other crowdfunding platforms deduct from your donation for campaigns.

100% of all campaigns are also fully verified, so you know your funds go to real people with real needs.

We take donor accountability very seriously – with yearly audited accounts and strong governance in place to ensure that your donations are properly channelled to the beneficiaries.

Ray of Hope is a registered charity and a member of the National Council of Social Services.