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Despite a precipitous 36% decline in the number of scripted television episodes produced during the worst days of the Covid pandemic, the percentage of women and people of color who directed them reached record highs in the 2020-21 season. According to the latest DGA Inclusion Report, 38% of the episodes in the 2020-21 season were directed by women, which was up 8.6% from 35% the season before, and more than double the 16% they directed in 2014. People of color directed 34% of the episodes, which was up 17.2% from 29% in the prior season, and more than double their 16% from 2014. Even so, the guild noted that “While the shares of episodes directed by women and directors of color continued to see incremental growth, gains were not evenly shared. Latino and Asian directors saw minimal gains, continuing to remain underrepresented at 9% and 7% respectively.” Despite these percentage gains for women and people of color, the actual number of episodes they directed … [Read more...] about Record-High Percentage Of Women & People Of Color Directed Episodic TV Shows In Covid-Hit 2020-21 Season, DGA Reports

DGA President Lesli Linka Glatter today joined the chorus of Hollywood union leaders condemning the Supreme Court’s draft opinion that would overturn Roe v. Wade and let states decide whether or not to ban abortions. “I am appalled that the Supreme Court stands ready to disregard 50 years of precedent and eliminate a woman’s right to choose what happens to her own body,” she said in a statement. “I strongly support the right for DGA members be able to make their own reproductive health care decisions and have access to safe abortion services. We must not return to that dark time in our nation’s history when unsafe and illegal back-alley abortions endangered or ended the lives of so many women. “I am proud to join so many individual and collective voices in our industry and our nation who are standing up to protect freedom of choice and hope that as the Supreme Court justices make their final deliberations, they hear our shared condemnation of this possible … [Read more...] about DGA President Lesli Linka Glatter Condemns Supreme Court’s Draft Opinion On Roe v. Wade

Hollywood’s unions have agreed to extend the film and TV industry’s current Covid-19 safety protocols until a new agreement can be reached with the Alliance of Motion Picture & Television Producers. The protocols had been set to expire on Saturday. The extension was agreed to by the DGA , SAG-AFTRA, IATSE , the Teamsters and the Basic Crafts. In a joint statement, the unions said that “negotiations will continue next week regarding adjustments to a new Covid-19 Safety Agreement as we have not yet reached agreement with the AMPTP . The protocols in the current Agreement, which was previously scheduled to expire tomorrow, April 30, will remain in place until a new Agreement is reached.” The protocols, which were established in September 2020, have enabled jobs and productions to rebound during the pandemic. They’d originally been set to expire on April 30, 2021, but were extended with no major modifications and contained all of the original agreement’s … [Read more...] about Hollywood’s Covid-19 Protocols Extended Until New Agreement Can Be Reached

Hollywood’s unions have reached an agreement with management’s AMPTP on revised Covid-19 protocols. In a statement, the unions said that the new agreement “creates a more flexible set of protocols for areas of the United States and Canada with low Covid hospital admissions, while maintaining core elements to keep sets safe. The unions — SAG-AFTRA, the DGA , IATSE , the Teamsters and the Basic Crafts — said that the agreement was reached “with the continued commitment to keeping casts, crews and all set workers safe in light of the changing impact of Covid-19.” The modifications apply only to areas that have confirmed low Covid hospital admissions (such as Los Angeles), leaving largely in place the requirements for areas experiencing surging admission rates (potentially, New York). These workplace practices apply to both vaccinated and unvaccinated cast and crew. Testing protocols are as follows: Pre-employment testing is still required of all crews, but with … [Read more...] about Hollywood’s Unions Reach Agreement With AMPTP Relaxing Covid Protocols In Areas With Low Hospitalization

EXCLUSIVE, 9:59 AM: Hollywood will still be getting a lot more money from the Golden State but not the $400 million that was announced on August 14 in the state Senate. Last minute negotiations last night between Gov. Jerry Brown ’s aides and the state legislature leadership have trimmed the increase of California’s $100 million Film and TV Tax Credit Program to somewhere between $300 million and $350 million, sources tell me. (UPDATE, 10:06 AM: The final figure is $330 million ) An announcement on the amended bill is expected this morning and could put before the state Senate as early as today. Having already passed the widely supported and multi-sponsored Film and Television Job Creation and Retention Act in late May, Assembly will have also revote on the now amended bill in the next few days before this year’s legislative sessions ends on August 31. The Act will then go to Brown for his signature. A signature widely expected with this deal. Among other changes, the … [Read more...] about Gov. Brown Trims Expansion Of California Film & TV Tax Credit In Deal With State Pols

UPDATE, 3:45 PM: Looks like one of the biggest stakeholders in the expansion of California’s $100 million Film and TV Tax Credit Program have forgiven Kevin De Leon for temporarily turning against the issue. Soon after the influential state Senator did an about face from yesterday’s lack of support for the widely supported and multi-sponsored Film and Television Job Creation and Retention Act and today said he was “100% committed” to seeing the legislation passed, the California Film and Television Production Alliance came out with a statement of their own saying they are “pleased that Senator De Leon has clearly expressed his strong and unequivocal commitment to passing an expanded and extended California Film and Television production incentive this year.” (see full statement below) The CFTPA includes the DGA, SAG-AFTRA, the MPAA, Teamsters Local 399, the PGA, the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences and the California and Nevada arms of the National … [Read more...] about UPDATE: Unions, MPAA & NATO Praise State Senator’s Revived Support Of California Film & TV Tax Credit Expansion

UPDATED with more details: A group of SAG-AFTRA members opposed to the film and TV industry’s vaccination mandate say they will stage a protest Thursday outside the union’s headquarters in Los Angeles. Oscar-nominated actress Sally Kirkland , a former Screen Actors Guild national board member, will be one of the speakers. As Covid restrictions are being lifted nationwide, the protesters say it’s time for Hollywood to scrap the mandate. The film and TV industry’s Covid-19 safety protocols, which include a narrowly defined “Mandatory Vaccination” provision, are set to expire Saturday but could be extended, as they have been several times since the protocols were first issued in September 2020, enabling jobs and productions to rebound during the darkest days of the pandemic. After vaccines became widely available, the protocols were amended last July to give producers “the option to implement mandatory vaccination policies for casts and crew in Zone A on a … [Read more...] about SAG-AFTRA Members To Rally Against Industry’s Covid Vaccination Mandate

Nearly 100 SAG-AFTRA members rallied peacefully but boisterously Thursday outside the union’s Los Angeles headquarters  to protest the industry’s Covid-19 vaccination mandate. Chanting “Stop the shot” and “This is insanity,” they carried signs that read “My body, my choice,” “End the mandates now” and “The only shot I’m taking is Jack Daniel’s.” A guy with a bullhorn shouted, “Coercion is not consent,” and that accepting the mandate “is the beginning of socialism.” Cha Cha Sandoval-McMahon, a stuntwoman and actress who organized the protest, called it “a pretty good turnout” for only two days of networking. The film and TV industry’s Covid-19 safety protocols, which include a narrowly defined “Mandatory Vaccination” provision, are set to expire Saturday but could be extended, as they have been several times since the protocols were first issued in September 2020. The move enabled jobs and productions to rebound during the during the darkest days of the pandemic. … [Read more...] about Nearly 100 SAG-AFTRA Members Protest Vaccination Mandate As Industry’s Covid Protocols Are About To Expire

CODA won Best Picture tonight at the 94th annual Academy Awards in Hollywood, becoming the first film from a streamer to win the marquee prize at the Academy Awards. ‘CODA’s Troy Kotsur An Inspiration To Deaf Stars Of Oscar-Nominated Doc ‘Audible’ The Apple Original Films drama about the hearing daughter of deaf adults who pursues a singing career also won Adapted Screenplay for Siân Heder, and its Troy Kotsur took Best Supporting Actor. It’s also the first Sundance-debuting pic to win Best Picture; Apple acquired it for a record $25 million at the festival. Jessica Chastain took Best Actress for the title role in MGM/UAR’s The Eyes of Tammy Faye, and an emotional Will Smith won Best Actor for his role as Richard Williams in Warner Bros’ King Richard. His win came after he slapped presenter Chris Rock onstage over a remark about Jada Pinkett Smith. Will Smith Apologizes To Chris Rock After Slapping Comic At The Oscars: “I Was Out Of Line And I … [Read more...] about Oscars: ‘CODA’ Wins Best Picture; ‘Dune’ Leads With Six Trophies – Full Winners List

EXCLUSIVE: Range Media Partners has signed Academy Award-nominated and Emmy-winning filmmaker Joe Berlinger . As a pioneering crime and justice filmmaker, Berlinger’s early work is widely credited for having been the launchpad for the explosion in true crime storytelling. His work has drawn attention to social justice issues in the U.S. and abroad through his documentaries and films such as the Sundance and DGA Award winner Brother’s Keeper , about an alleged 1990 murder in the town of Munnsville, NY which has influenced a generation of nonfiction filmmakers, and HBO’s Paradise Lost trilogy, which resulted in the freeing of the wrongly convicted West Memphis Three after almost two decades in prison and earned Berlinger multiple Emmy and Peabody awards and an Oscar nomination. Berlinger’s passion for using media to bring attention to the issue of wrongful conviction served as his inspiration for Wrong Man on Starz, which captured an in-depth look into six … [Read more...] about Joe Berlinger Signs With Range