Guild mill idle heroes

Oscar-winning screenwriter Charlie Kaufman will be this year’s recipient of the WGA West ’s Laurel Award for Screenwriting Achievement. The lifetime achievement award, which goes to members who have “advanced the literature of motion pictures and made outstanding contributions to the profession of the screenwriter,” will be presented March 5 during the 75th annual Writers Guild Awards at the Fairmont Century Plaza in Los Angeles. “A true visionary, Kaufman’s legacy is undeniable,” the guild said. He won an Oscar and a WGA Award for Best Original Screenplay for 2004’s Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and received Oscar and WGA nominations for Being John Malkovich and Adaptation and another Oscar nom for the animated feature Anomalisa . Kaufman’s writing career began in the early 1990s on the TV sitcom Get a Life , and he spent much the decade working in comedy and sketch television before transitioning to film. His 2001 screenplay, Human Nature , … [Read more...] about Charlie Kaufman To Receive WGA West’s Laurel Award

Recent Grammy winner Bad Bunny , Christina Aguilera and Jeremy Pope will be honored at the 34th annual GLAAD Media Awards next month for advancing and supporting the LGBTQ community. Bad Bunny — Spotify’s most-streamed artist in the world last year — will receive the Vanguard Award for having made “a significant difference in promoting acceptance of LGBTQ people and issues.” Five-time Grammy winner Aguilera will receive the Advocate for Change Award for having “changed the game for LGBTQ people around the world.” And Pose alum and two-time Tony nominee Pope will receive the Stephen F. Kolzak Award for having made “a significant difference in raising visibility and promoting acceptance of LGBTQ people and issues.” Read bios for all three below. The awards show will be handed during the March 30 ceremony at the Beverly Hilton. RELATED: 2023 Awards Season Calendar – Dates For The Oscars, Guilds & More Bad Bunny’s advocacy and outspoken allyship for the … [Read more...] about GLAAD Media Awards: Bad Bunny, Christina Aguilera & Jeremy Pope Set For Honors

Comic book artist Lee Moder , who co-created the Courtney Whitmore version of Stargirl with Geoff Johns in 1999, has passed away, according to ComicBook.com and statements from his peers. The web site cited a family friend, who indicated that Moder died quietly at home sometime on or before January 15th. No cause of his death was given. Moder was 53. A TV series based on the Stargirl character ran for three seasons on the CW, ending last December. DC ’s Stargirl followed Courtney and her stepfather Pat Dugan (Luke Wilson) as she leads an unlikely group of young heroes to take on the legacy of DC’s very first superhero team, the Justice Society of America. Johns served as showrunner, and executive produced the series with Greg Berlanti and Sarah Schechter. Moder worked in the comics industry for nearly three decades. In that time he drew titles like Legion of Super-Heroes and Wonder Woman at DC. He also provided art for issues of Highlander and Red Sonja … [Read more...] about Lee Moder Dies: Comic Book Artist And Stargirl Co-Creator Was 53

Actors’ Equity said today that it’s making its Open Access membership policy permanent, allowing any non-union theater worker to join who can demonstrate that they have worked professionally as an actor or stage manager within Equity’s geographical jurisdiction. The 51,000-member union had launched the Open Access policy in July of 2021, but it had a sunset date of May 1, 2023. The union will now begin a three-year phase-out of its Equity Membership Candidate (EMC) Program, under which eligibility for union membership had been limited to those working for an Equity employer or to members of a sibling union such as SAG-AFTRA, the American Guild of Musical Artists (AGMA) or the American Guild of Variety Artists (AGVA). “Open Access is doing exactly what it’s supposed to do,” said Actors’ Equity President Kate Shindle. “Of course, strength in numbers is a cornerstone principle for any union. But this was never a simple numbers game. Every worker who wants a union deserves a … [Read more...] about Actors’ Equity Is Expanding Its Membership; Makes Open Access Program Permanent

The WGA West on Saturday will hold its first membership meeting to discuss its upcoming negotiations with the AMPTP for a new film and TV contract. Two other membership meetings are scheduled in Los Angeles later this month, and one will be held in New York. John August , a member of the WGA Negotiating Committee, spoke recently on his Scriptnotes podcast about the upcoming meetings and what members should expect as the process unfolds. He also downplayed rumors of a threatened strike “because honestly, none of us know what’s gonna happen.” “If you’re a WGA member, you should definitely go to one of the member meetings,” he told Scriptnotes producer Megana Rao. “It’s at these member meetings where you first hear from the Negotiating Committee about what the plans and priorities are. It’s also where there’s people with microphones, asking questions, giving their real-time feedback – applause and cheers and all of this happens live and in a room. It’s not as fun as this … [Read more...] about WGA West Sets First Membership Meetings To Discuss Upcoming Contract Talks