The 12 productions would have “reasonably [been] expected” to get pandemic cover before it became unavailable on the private insurance market earlier this year, ministry deputy chief executive Anna Butler said. The cover was only for productions which needed private finance, of which insurance was a requirement. The insurance covered against both delays and abandonments due to Covid-19. Butler said the 12 productions would be considered by Finance Minister Grant Robertson on a “case-by-case basis”. Some had already been granted the indemnity, while others were yet to be considered. “Screen productions generally need pandemic insurance to secure private finance. If granted, the indemnity will give financiers the comfort they need to lend to productions,” Butler said.