Adam Driver Calls Out Netflix and Amazon at Venice Film Festival
Adam Driver, while promoting 'Ferrari' in Venice: “Why is it that a smaller distribution company like Neon and STX International can meet the dream demands of what SAG is asking for… but a big company like Netflix and Amazon can’t?” https://t.co/KmjD9fudHl #Venezia80
- Marlow Stern (@MarlowNYC) August 31, 2023
Everyone's favorite sentient sequoia had some things to say about the ongoing WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes at the Venice Film Festival while promoting Michael Mann's FERRARI. Ferrari is one of the movies that have been granted a waiver as part of the SAG interim agreement because it was made independantly of the AMPTP and abides by SAG rules and regulations.
From Rolling Stone:
"I’m very proud to be here to be a visual representation of a movie that’s not part of the AMPTP, and to promote the SAG leadership directive, which is an effective tactic, which is the interim agreement,” Driver said during the film’s press conference.
According to Driver, the SAG interim agreements are beneficial because they “allow independent movies to be made” and “stop the bleeding a little bit,” providing opportunities for people in the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) and SAG to work amid the ongoing actors’ strike.
“The other objective is to obviously say, why is it that a smaller distribution company like Neon and STX International can meet the dream demands of what SAG is asking for, but a big company like Netflix and Amazon can’t?” he asked. “And every time people from SAG go and support a movie that has agreed to these terms, an interim agreement, it just makes it more obvious that these people are willing to support the people they collaborate with and the others are not.”
He continued: “Understanding the interim agreement, it’s a no-brainer for all of these reasons why you’d want to support your union, and I’m here because of that: to stand in solidarity with them by showing up, and further proving the point that it’s really about the people you make it with.”
Michael Mann (who is 80 years old!!) also expressed support for the striking unions during the presser:
“Individually and collectively, we all stand in solidarity with SAG and also the Writers’ Guild as well,” explained Mann. “To be crystal clear, once an agreement is in place, we fully encourage our SAG-AFTRA members to work under that agreement and promote work made under that agreement because it benefits SAG in their negotiations. No big studio wrote us a check, and that’s why we’re here standing in solidarity with both unions.”
For anyone wondering what the SAG interim agreement entails, they must agree to terms that the union proposed during negotiations on July 12, which includes a new minimum wage rate that's 11% higher than before and guarantees about revenue sharing and AI protections.
SAG-AFTRA appealed to members earlier this week to continue promoting fall festival productions that have been cleared for interim agreements as a means to demonstrate that the terms demanded are more than reasonable and easy to provide for if even small, independant studios can do it.
ONTD, are you part of a union? What is the biggest benefit being part of a union has provided for you?
Source 1, Source 2, Source 3