FF7 freezes on PS3

I'm replaying Final Fantasy VII on my roommate's PS3. The game freezes every time during one of the cutscenes on Disc 1 at the Nibelheim Reactor, and I'd really like to get past this part. I've played through the game a few times on my PS1 at home. It's possible the disc is scratched and this is causing the issue, but I'm wondering if there's any other way to get past this one scene. I'd rather not restart the game if possible only to find it freezing at the same part. Is there any way to get around the cutscene or transfer the save file somehow? Alternatively, I have heard it is possible to download FF7 from the Playstation store, would I be able to keep my save files if I do this? Hopefully I'm not just out of options. I really can't afford to buy the original game again.