For more than three decades, Anita Hill has served as an advocate for workplace rights and a vocal figure in supporting victims and survivors of sexual assault. In the days since a New York appeals court overturned the rape conviction of disgraced producer Harvey Weinstein, Hill has been thinking more about the ways in which this decision plays into an already dangerous rhetoric often present in societal misconceptions about sexual abuse that strip women of authority and trust. In an essay published in the Hollywood Reporter, the lawyer and educator...
- 4/29/2024
- by Larisha Paul
- Rollingstone.com
“It may sound like an exaggeration, but it’s not, today’s legal ruling is a great day for America because it instills in us the faith that there is a justice system,” proclaimed Harvey Weinstein’s lawyer Arthur Aidala today after New York’s Appeals Court threw out his client’s 2020 conviction and ordered a new trial.
“If it’s a former president of the United States or the most storied Hollywood producer of our generation, the law applies to everyone,” Aidala added Thursday just a few feet away from the criminal court building where Donald Trump’s hush money trial is going on right now.
“It’s like this case begins brand new, like it was …six years ago when he was initially arrested and brought in” the attorney said of what happens next, saying he passed the news of the ruling onto Weinstein early this morning as the order was released.
“If it’s a former president of the United States or the most storied Hollywood producer of our generation, the law applies to everyone,” Aidala added Thursday just a few feet away from the criminal court building where Donald Trump’s hush money trial is going on right now.
“It’s like this case begins brand new, like it was …six years ago when he was initially arrested and brought in” the attorney said of what happens next, saying he passed the news of the ruling onto Weinstein early this morning as the order was released.
- 4/25/2024
- by Dominic Patten
- Deadline Film + TV
The New York Court of Appeals has overturned Harvey Weinstein’s 2020 rape conviction, finding that the judge at the trial prejudiced the producer with “egregious” improper rulings.
As reported by Associated Press, the court – the highest level of appeal available in New York state – came to a 4-3 decision.
“We conclude that the trial court erroneously admitted testimony of uncharged, alleged prior sexual acts against persons other than the complainants of the underlying crimes,” the court’s decision said. “The remedy for these egregious errors is a new trial.”
The judgment continued, ”It is an abuse of judicial discretion to...
As reported by Associated Press, the court – the highest level of appeal available in New York state – came to a 4-3 decision.
“We conclude that the trial court erroneously admitted testimony of uncharged, alleged prior sexual acts against persons other than the complainants of the underlying crimes,” the court’s decision said. “The remedy for these egregious errors is a new trial.”
The judgment continued, ”It is an abuse of judicial discretion to...
- 4/25/2024
- ScreenDaily
The Motion Picture & Television Fund raised more than $4.3 million at its 22nd annual star-studded benefit on Saturday night.
The exclusive event was co-chaired by Sterling K. Brown and Ryan Michelle Bathé, America Ferrera and Ryan Piers-Williams, Jodie Foster and Paul Giamatti.
Funds raised from the event will be used to support industry members and their families who benefit from MPTF’s charitable programs and services, such as financial assistance, crisis counseling, caregiving support and residency on the Wasserman Campus in Woodland Hills, which now serves as “home” to many television and film veterans. During the recent work stoppages, MPTF received over 13,000 calls for aid and provided more than $8 million in charitable financial assistance.
“MPTF and I have such a rich, wonderful history together of taking care of our own,” said Foster. “I’m so proud to support this incredible organization and help raise crucial funds to support our industry family when they need it most.
The exclusive event was co-chaired by Sterling K. Brown and Ryan Michelle Bathé, America Ferrera and Ryan Piers-Williams, Jodie Foster and Paul Giamatti.
Funds raised from the event will be used to support industry members and their families who benefit from MPTF’s charitable programs and services, such as financial assistance, crisis counseling, caregiving support and residency on the Wasserman Campus in Woodland Hills, which now serves as “home” to many television and film veterans. During the recent work stoppages, MPTF received over 13,000 calls for aid and provided more than $8 million in charitable financial assistance.
“MPTF and I have such a rich, wonderful history together of taking care of our own,” said Foster. “I’m so proud to support this incredible organization and help raise crucial funds to support our industry family when they need it most.
- 3/10/2024
- by Kimberly Nordyke
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees and low budget film producers have teamed up to form a new subcommittee aimed at ensuring workers are free from harassment and discrimination. The group seeks to implement the Hollywood Commission’s Respect on Set program, which offers employers who are signatories of IATSE’s Low Budget Agreement services to create workplaces free from harassment and discrimination.
According to the Hollywood Commission’s recent surveys of entertainment workers, workers on low budget productions experience more sexual coercion and assault, along with great rates of gender and racial bias, compared to their major-studio counterparts. However, these abuses are reported at much lower rates on low budget productions. The survey found that workers have the impression that nothing will be done if they make a formal complaint.
“We applaud the steps taken by low budget producers who, understandably, want their sets to be free from sexual harassment and abusive conduct.
According to the Hollywood Commission’s recent surveys of entertainment workers, workers on low budget productions experience more sexual coercion and assault, along with great rates of gender and racial bias, compared to their major-studio counterparts. However, these abuses are reported at much lower rates on low budget productions. The survey found that workers have the impression that nothing will be done if they make a formal complaint.
“We applaud the steps taken by low budget producers who, understandably, want their sets to be free from sexual harassment and abusive conduct.
- 2/15/2024
- by Caroline Brew
- Variety Film + TV
Last month, Anita Hill’s Hollywood Commission released the sobering findings from its most recent survey into workplace abuse: Most of the 5,000-plus respondents said that they were now better informed on how to identify misconduct, but they had little faith in employers’ and the industry’s ability to address the behavior.
At the time, Hill told The Hollywood Reporter that the report was only the first step in the journey of systemic change and that raising awareness of where people in the industry stand could lead to the reform or creation of policies and procedures to resolve what is lacking.
Now, two organizations have taken the first action as a result of the Commission’s survey: IATSE and the low budget film producers with whom the union negotiates for its Low Budget Agreement have formed a subcommittee focused on protecting workers on set. Specifically, the working group is tasked...
At the time, Hill told The Hollywood Reporter that the report was only the first step in the journey of systemic change and that raising awareness of where people in the industry stand could lead to the reform or creation of policies and procedures to resolve what is lacking.
Now, two organizations have taken the first action as a result of the Commission’s survey: IATSE and the low budget film producers with whom the union negotiates for its Low Budget Agreement have formed a subcommittee focused on protecting workers on set. Specifically, the working group is tasked...
- 2/15/2024
- by Rebecca Sun
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Film producers and US film workers union the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) are to explore the inclusion of services to prevent workplace harassment and discrimination in their agreement covering low budget projects.
The groups will form a subcommittee to consider the deployment of the Respect on Set programme, recently developed by the Hollywood Commission, under their 2025 Low Budget Agreement for films with budgets of under $15m. The programme incorporates a suite of services to help employers create workplaces free from harassment and discrimination.
The Hollywood Commission, chaired by lawyer and academic Anita Hill, issued its first report...
The groups will form a subcommittee to consider the deployment of the Respect on Set programme, recently developed by the Hollywood Commission, under their 2025 Low Budget Agreement for films with budgets of under $15m. The programme incorporates a suite of services to help employers create workplaces free from harassment and discrimination.
The Hollywood Commission, chaired by lawyer and academic Anita Hill, issued its first report...
- 2/15/2024
- ScreenDaily
IATSE is forming a subcommittee with the low budget film producers to address sexual harassment on film and TV sets.
The primary mission of the subcommittee is to implement the Hollywood Commission’s Respect on Set program, which provides services to all signatories of IATSE’s Low Budget Agreement (Lba) (which covers films with budgets under $15M).
Those services are aimed at helping them create workplaces free from harassment and discrimination. They include a code of conduct, education resources, and a third-party reporting structure. The goal for the subcommittee to actually implement and expand these services ahead of IATSE’s 2025 Lba, so they can be included as provisions in the new agreement.
This marks a first-of-its-kind collaboration, as it is a commitment to creating enforceable standards for sexual harassment in a collective bargaining agreement.
So far, there’s to timetable for when the committee is expected to roll out these implementations.
The primary mission of the subcommittee is to implement the Hollywood Commission’s Respect on Set program, which provides services to all signatories of IATSE’s Low Budget Agreement (Lba) (which covers films with budgets under $15M).
Those services are aimed at helping them create workplaces free from harassment and discrimination. They include a code of conduct, education resources, and a third-party reporting structure. The goal for the subcommittee to actually implement and expand these services ahead of IATSE’s 2025 Lba, so they can be included as provisions in the new agreement.
This marks a first-of-its-kind collaboration, as it is a commitment to creating enforceable standards for sexual harassment in a collective bargaining agreement.
So far, there’s to timetable for when the committee is expected to roll out these implementations.
- 2/15/2024
- by Katie Campione
- Deadline Film + TV
The Hollywood Commission spent four years surveying the entertainment industry about discrimination, harassment, and bullying. They learned that while things were bad all over, low-budget film and TV sets had it worst. These crew members reported more sexual harassment, assault, discrimination, and gender and racial bias than their major-studio counterparts. Furthermore, these abuses were reported at much lower rates because workers believe nothing will be done.
Now, the Hc is making moves to address the discrepancy. It’s teaming with IATSE on a subcommittee that will determine protections and provisions for sexual harassment and discrimination for IATSE members and employers who work under the Low Budget Agreement. Any Lba signatories, which cover film and TV projects made for under $15 million, will be required to comply.
Formed in 2017 after the rise of #metoo and chaired by Anita Hill, the Hollywood Commission is an organization designed to root out abuses of power in Hollywood.
Now, the Hc is making moves to address the discrepancy. It’s teaming with IATSE on a subcommittee that will determine protections and provisions for sexual harassment and discrimination for IATSE members and employers who work under the Low Budget Agreement. Any Lba signatories, which cover film and TV projects made for under $15 million, will be required to comply.
Formed in 2017 after the rise of #metoo and chaired by Anita Hill, the Hollywood Commission is an organization designed to root out abuses of power in Hollywood.
- 2/15/2024
- by Brian Welk
- Indiewire
The 2023 Hollywood Commission, founded by Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy and Nina Shaw, has found that fewer people are reporting workplace harassment, not because fewer incidents have occurred, but because of a shared knowledge that studios won’t respond appropriately.
The lack of studio repercussions for offenders reflects a slew of entertainment industry careers, with the survey finding that 31 percent of entertainment workers out of 5,259 people surveyed did not bother to report workplace misconduct because they “did not believe anything would be done” by respective human resources departments.
Compared to 2020, that’s 24 percent less confidence in studios to take action against harassers.
“The problem is acute across the entire industry — on independent productions, many of which lack the structures and systems of the large studios, and at the large studios themselves, where 71 percent of workers believe it is unlikely that a powerful person will be held accountable,” the study reads.
The...
The lack of studio repercussions for offenders reflects a slew of entertainment industry careers, with the survey finding that 31 percent of entertainment workers out of 5,259 people surveyed did not bother to report workplace misconduct because they “did not believe anything would be done” by respective human resources departments.
Compared to 2020, that’s 24 percent less confidence in studios to take action against harassers.
“The problem is acute across the entire industry — on independent productions, many of which lack the structures and systems of the large studios, and at the large studios themselves, where 71 percent of workers believe it is unlikely that a powerful person will be held accountable,” the study reads.
The...
- 1/11/2024
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
The Brown Bunny actor Vincent Gallo has been accused of making sexually explicit and threatening comments in auditions with actresses for an upcoming film in a new report in Rolling Stone.
Two actresses who auditioned to play victim roles in The Policeman, a film starring Gallo as so-called “Golden State Killer” Joseph James DeAngelo, filed complaints to actors union SAG-AFTRA after comments that Gallo allegedly made during the casting process. SAG-AFTRA responded by launching an investigation into casting for the film, which is written and directed by Spring Breakers and The Virgin Suicides producer Jordan Gertner and co-stars James Franco in one of his first roles since being accused of sexual and exploitative behavior at his acting school in 2018.
A SAG-AFTRA spokesperson said in a comment to The Hollywood Reporter, “We are aware of these complaints and are investigating. We extensively engaged with production regarding the complaints and, while shooting has wrapped,...
Two actresses who auditioned to play victim roles in The Policeman, a film starring Gallo as so-called “Golden State Killer” Joseph James DeAngelo, filed complaints to actors union SAG-AFTRA after comments that Gallo allegedly made during the casting process. SAG-AFTRA responded by launching an investigation into casting for the film, which is written and directed by Spring Breakers and The Virgin Suicides producer Jordan Gertner and co-stars James Franco in one of his first roles since being accused of sexual and exploitative behavior at his acting school in 2018.
A SAG-AFTRA spokesperson said in a comment to The Hollywood Reporter, “We are aware of these complaints and are investigating. We extensively engaged with production regarding the complaints and, while shooting has wrapped,...
- 1/11/2024
- by Katie Kilkenny
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
‘I think these problems extend beyond the entertainment industry, and that’s no excuse for what’s going on,” says Dr, Anita Hill of sexual harassment and discrimination in Tinseltown. “I think what I would also say is if there is any industry that should be operating from a place of inclusion, it’s the entertainment industry,” the chair of the multi-studio supported Hollywood Commission adds.
Dr. Hill’s remarks come as the Kathleen Kennedy and Nina Shaw-founded Commission this morning releases its second survey of the entertainment industry. And the 44-page report from the 2017 created organization is searing.
Read the Hollywood Commission’s 2022-23 Entertainment Industry Report here.
Despite a noticeable rise in awareness of “what constitutes workplace misconduct, how to report it and how to address or response to retaliation” over the last Hollywood Commission survey of three years ago, confidence or belief that something would be...
Dr. Hill’s remarks come as the Kathleen Kennedy and Nina Shaw-founded Commission this morning releases its second survey of the entertainment industry. And the 44-page report from the 2017 created organization is searing.
Read the Hollywood Commission’s 2022-23 Entertainment Industry Report here.
Despite a noticeable rise in awareness of “what constitutes workplace misconduct, how to report it and how to address or response to retaliation” over the last Hollywood Commission survey of three years ago, confidence or belief that something would be...
- 1/11/2024
- by Dominic Patten
- Deadline Film + TV
The good news is that more workers in Hollywood now know how to identify workplace misconduct, and how to report it.
The bad news is that even fewer believe reporting such misconduct leads to any real results.
These are two of the key takeaways from the 2022-23 Entertainment Industry Survey, the second such report from the Anita Hill-led Hollywood Commission that was assembled in 2017 at the dawn of the MeToo movement. Updating its findings from three years ago, the Commission found that most change was related to awareness – of what constitutes unacceptable workplace behavior (from 76% of respondents to 82%), of how to share concerns (68% to 74%), of company Dei initiatives (66% to 75%), of the internal reporting process (58% to 65%) and of how to identify retaliatory responses and what to do in the event that happens (59% to 69%).
“If you look back at the history of sexual harassment, so many times what you heard initially...
The bad news is that even fewer believe reporting such misconduct leads to any real results.
These are two of the key takeaways from the 2022-23 Entertainment Industry Survey, the second such report from the Anita Hill-led Hollywood Commission that was assembled in 2017 at the dawn of the MeToo movement. Updating its findings from three years ago, the Commission found that most change was related to awareness – of what constitutes unacceptable workplace behavior (from 76% of respondents to 82%), of how to share concerns (68% to 74%), of company Dei initiatives (66% to 75%), of the internal reporting process (58% to 65%) and of how to identify retaliatory responses and what to do in the event that happens (59% to 69%).
“If you look back at the history of sexual harassment, so many times what you heard initially...
- 1/11/2024
- by Rebecca Sun
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Kerry Washington emphasized the importance of leveling the playing field during her acceptance speech for the Equity in Entertainment Award on Thursday at The Hollywood Reporter’s Women in Entertainment gala breakfast, presented by Lifetime.
Ariana DeBose presented the Scandal star with the award, which recognizes individuals who amplify the voices of underrepresented communities in the entertainment industry. The Oscar winner praised the Emmy winner for always being unapologetically herself and encouraging other women to do the same.
“Every component of the career that she has built, the empire that she has created, speaks to equity,” DeBose said of Washington. “How has she done that? By being herself and taking up space!”
The West Side Story star continued, “Kerry has squashed the traditional stereotype of being a Black woman in Hollywood. She has expanded our minds of what we can be — from playing the messy, complicated, dynamic Olivia Pope [in tt1837576 autoScandal...
Ariana DeBose presented the Scandal star with the award, which recognizes individuals who amplify the voices of underrepresented communities in the entertainment industry. The Oscar winner praised the Emmy winner for always being unapologetically herself and encouraging other women to do the same.
“Every component of the career that she has built, the empire that she has created, speaks to equity,” DeBose said of Washington. “How has she done that? By being herself and taking up space!”
The West Side Story star continued, “Kerry has squashed the traditional stereotype of being a Black woman in Hollywood. She has expanded our minds of what we can be — from playing the messy, complicated, dynamic Olivia Pope [in tt1837576 autoScandal...
- 12/7/2023
- by Christy Piña
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Clarence Thomas’ connections to wealth and expensive vacations run deeper than billionaire businessman and Nazi-enthusiast Harlan Crow. The New York Times reports that Thomas has milked relationships with the rich he made through the Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans, a scholarship association, to benefit himself and his wife.
Because of their Horatio Alger connections, Thomas and his spouse, Virginia, have been invited to join luxurious vacations and parties in addition being granted V.I.P. access to sports events. Thanks to the association, Thomas also rubbed elbows with the likes of...
Because of their Horatio Alger connections, Thomas and his spouse, Virginia, have been invited to join luxurious vacations and parties in addition being granted V.I.P. access to sports events. Thanks to the association, Thomas also rubbed elbows with the likes of...
- 7/9/2023
- by Peter Wade
- Rollingstone.com
After a sweet monologue from host Ana de Armas, who announced that she’s about to become a U.S. citizen, this week’s edition of Saturday Night Live’s “Weekend Update” took aim at a trio of high-profile political figures: former game show host turned president Donald Trump, Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, and Senator Dianne Feinstein of California.
“In an interview, Donald Trump claimed that New York Police and court employees were crying when they arrested him,” joked co-host Colin Jost. “Why is everyone in Trump stories always crying?...
“In an interview, Donald Trump claimed that New York Police and court employees were crying when they arrested him,” joked co-host Colin Jost. “Why is everyone in Trump stories always crying?...
- 4/16/2023
- by Marlow Stern
- Rollingstone.com
With Women’s History Month well underway, Variety asked female leaders in Hollywood a simple question: Are we better off today than we were five years ago? More pointedly, how many gains have there really been in the battle for gender equality since the industry’s great #MeToo reckoning – and what is the outlook for further change?
Lately, there have been mixed signals: Time’s Up faded away in January after a series of missteps, and high-profile female Oscar contenders ended up empty handed once again in traditionally male-dominated categories earlier this month. Harvey Weinstein is in jail but new reports of sexual misconduct by other men in positions of authority continue to pop up with unsettling frequency. Recent academic studies have not given those fighting for gender equality much to cheer about either.
Women’s advocates surveyed by Variety concede that progress appears to have slowed recently but insist there is no need to despair.
Lately, there have been mixed signals: Time’s Up faded away in January after a series of missteps, and high-profile female Oscar contenders ended up empty handed once again in traditionally male-dominated categories earlier this month. Harvey Weinstein is in jail but new reports of sexual misconduct by other men in positions of authority continue to pop up with unsettling frequency. Recent academic studies have not given those fighting for gender equality much to cheer about either.
Women’s advocates surveyed by Variety concede that progress appears to have slowed recently but insist there is no need to despair.
- 3/28/2023
- by Diane Garrett
- Variety Film + TV
Angela Bassett goes into the Oscars as a supporting actress nominee for her work in “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.” The first and last time she was nominated was 29 years ago for “What’s Love Got to Do With It.”
On Wednesday night, she recalled her early days in Hollywood. “When I came into this business, the path was not clear,” Bassett said while being honored at Time magazine’s Women of the Year gala at the Four Seasons in Beverly Hills. “I grew up at a time when it was a special occasion when people who looked like me were featured on the television screen or movie screen or in the theaters. But it was women like Rosalind and Ruby Dee and Diahann Carroll and Cicely Tyson, whose perseverance and resilience led me to have courage — courage to stay the course no matter what the obstacles.”
Phoebe Bridgers and Quinta Brunson...
On Wednesday night, she recalled her early days in Hollywood. “When I came into this business, the path was not clear,” Bassett said while being honored at Time magazine’s Women of the Year gala at the Four Seasons in Beverly Hills. “I grew up at a time when it was a special occasion when people who looked like me were featured on the television screen or movie screen or in the theaters. But it was women like Rosalind and Ruby Dee and Diahann Carroll and Cicely Tyson, whose perseverance and resilience led me to have courage — courage to stay the course no matter what the obstacles.”
Phoebe Bridgers and Quinta Brunson...
- 3/9/2023
- by Marc Malkin
- Variety Film + TV
“I’ve got one daughter, and you’ve got one daddy,” Edwin (Delroy Lindo) reminds his daughter Paige (Kerry Washington) in the trailer for the new Hulu series “UnPrisoned.” Their relationship is at the heart of the comedy, in which they reunite after Edwin spent 17 years in prison on drug charges. Based on writer and executive producer Tracy McMillan’s own life, the show will chronicle how that reunion unfolds and the impact Edwin has on Paige and her son, Finn (Faly Rakotohavana), when he moves in with them. All ten episodes premiere on Friday, March 10. Watch the full trailer above.
The trailer also offers glimpses at the adventures that await the family: Paige pursues a dream of owning a home — and gets a cathartic moment when she takes a sledgehammer to the dated wood paneling in the living room; Edwin teaches Finn how to drive and how to deal...
The trailer also offers glimpses at the adventures that await the family: Paige pursues a dream of owning a home — and gets a cathartic moment when she takes a sledgehammer to the dated wood paneling in the living room; Edwin teaches Finn how to drive and how to deal...
- 3/7/2023
- by David Buchanan
- Gold Derby
On Nov. 2, 2022, New York Attorney General Letitia James announced that she’d secured a $30.5 million settlement from CBS and its former president and CEO Leslie Moonves for misleading the company’s investors about his misconduct, concealing sexual assault allegations against him and related insider trading by another top CBS executive. Her office also released a 37-page report detailing how members of Moonves’ C-suite and others unsuccessfully sought to neutralize the crisis before it knocked off the top boss, tanked the share price and gummed up a then-nascent merger with Viacom. It’s a damning case study in corporate complicity, control and cover-up.
The report centers on a yearlong sequence of events beginning in late 2017. Then-81-year-old Phyllis Golden-Gottlieb, who died in July 2022, filed a confidential police report with the Los Angeles Police Department. Golden-Gottlieb alleged that Moonves had attacked her on multiple occasions in the 1980s, when they were both executives at Lorimar-Telepictures.
The report centers on a yearlong sequence of events beginning in late 2017. Then-81-year-old Phyllis Golden-Gottlieb, who died in July 2022, filed a confidential police report with the Los Angeles Police Department. Golden-Gottlieb alleged that Moonves had attacked her on multiple occasions in the 1980s, when they were both executives at Lorimar-Telepictures.
- 2/16/2023
- by Gary Baum
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The 2023 American Black Film Festival (ABFF) Honors is set to recognize Kerry Washington, Courtney B. Vance, Charles D. King and Janelle Monáe with special honors during the annual award ceremony saluting excellence in the motion picture and television industry.
Washington, an Emmy winner and SAG and Golden Globe-nominated actor, director and producer, will be presented with the Excellence in the Arts Award (Female), while two-time Emmy winner Vance will accept the award for Excellence in the Arts (Male). MacRo founder and CEO King will be presented the Industry Leadership Award, while eight-time Grammy-nominated artist, producer and actor Monáe receives the Renaissance Award. Kasi Lemmons’ 1997 drama “Eve’s Bayou” will be honored with the Classic Cinema Award.
The fifth ABFF Honors will take place on Sunday, March 5, hosted by Emmy-nominated writer, actor and comedian Deon Cole. The intimate, non-televised dinner and award ceremony is executive produced by Nicole and Jeff Friday (under...
Washington, an Emmy winner and SAG and Golden Globe-nominated actor, director and producer, will be presented with the Excellence in the Arts Award (Female), while two-time Emmy winner Vance will accept the award for Excellence in the Arts (Male). MacRo founder and CEO King will be presented the Industry Leadership Award, while eight-time Grammy-nominated artist, producer and actor Monáe receives the Renaissance Award. Kasi Lemmons’ 1997 drama “Eve’s Bayou” will be honored with the Classic Cinema Award.
The fifth ABFF Honors will take place on Sunday, March 5, hosted by Emmy-nominated writer, actor and comedian Deon Cole. The intimate, non-televised dinner and award ceremony is executive produced by Nicole and Jeff Friday (under...
- 2/13/2023
- by Angelique Jackson
- Variety Film + TV
The mechanics and politics of the filmed sex scene are put under a microscope in Kristy Guevara-Flanagan’s documentary Body Parts. A useful primer for thinking about the ways Hollywood has encoded heteronormative ideas about coitus and acted as a type of collective sex ed, Body Parts is ultimately a little too expansive. Bouncing between the Hays Code, Hattie McDaniel and the “Mamie” stereotype, #MeToo, the Harvey Weinstein and James Franco scandals, intimacy coordinators, nudity riders, and about ten other subtopics, Guevara-Flanagan’s thesis about incremental changes to the industry is ultimately diffused. While compelling in its individual, discrete sections, it fails to find a compelling throughline that would tie everything together.
Featuring a roster of talking heads, Body Parts mainly prioritizes TV creators including Joey Solloway (Transparent), David Simon (The Deuce), and Tanya Saracho (Vida), as well as actors DeWanda Wise, Rosanna Arquette, Jane Fonda, Rose McGowan, and Alexandra Billings.
Featuring a roster of talking heads, Body Parts mainly prioritizes TV creators including Joey Solloway (Transparent), David Simon (The Deuce), and Tanya Saracho (Vida), as well as actors DeWanda Wise, Rosanna Arquette, Jane Fonda, Rose McGowan, and Alexandra Billings.
- 2/2/2023
- by Christian Gallichio
- The Film Stage
As the verdict for Harvey Weinstein was mixed, so were the post-verdict reactions.
Los Angeles prosecutors scored a conviction on three counts, a result that should assure Weinstein will spend his remaining years in prison. But the victory was narrower than it appeared: Of the four women whose allegations were the foundation of criminal charges, only one – Jane Doe 1, a Russian-born actress and model – had her testimony vindicated by the jury Monday.
Her statement was unequivocal: “Harvey Weinstein forever destroyed a part of me that night in 2013 and I will never get that back,” Jane Doe 1 said after the verdict. “The criminal trial was brutal and Weinstein’s lawyers put me through hell on the witness stand, but I knew I had to see this through to the end, and I did. I am thankful to the L.A. County prosecutors, including Paul Thompson, for believing in me and fighting...
Los Angeles prosecutors scored a conviction on three counts, a result that should assure Weinstein will spend his remaining years in prison. But the victory was narrower than it appeared: Of the four women whose allegations were the foundation of criminal charges, only one – Jane Doe 1, a Russian-born actress and model – had her testimony vindicated by the jury Monday.
Her statement was unequivocal: “Harvey Weinstein forever destroyed a part of me that night in 2013 and I will never get that back,” Jane Doe 1 said after the verdict. “The criminal trial was brutal and Weinstein’s lawyers put me through hell on the witness stand, but I knew I had to see this through to the end, and I did. I am thankful to the L.A. County prosecutors, including Paul Thompson, for believing in me and fighting...
- 12/20/2022
- by Josh Dickey
- The Wrap
Hollywood Commission chairperson Anita Hill responded today to the conviction of Harvey Weinstein on three sex crime charges by a Los Angeles jury that could mean a sentence of 18 to 24 years behind bars for the Oscar-winning producer. Many of Weinstein’s accusers have said they were lured to hotel-room meetings that they thought were business-related, but turned out to be predicates for assault.
“The Weinstein verdict is a much-needed indication of our commitment to justice and individual accountability. But it is only one case, despite its profile and significance. Real progress toward safer and more equitable workplaces requires acknowledging the institutional practices and industry culture that tolerate abuse, discrimination, harassment and bullying,” wrote Hill who, of course, was at the center of accusations of workplace harassment against Supreme Court Judge Clarence Thomas during his confirmation hearing.
Hill stressed the need for continued work “to eliminate these behaviors.”
Chaired by Hill...
“The Weinstein verdict is a much-needed indication of our commitment to justice and individual accountability. But it is only one case, despite its profile and significance. Real progress toward safer and more equitable workplaces requires acknowledging the institutional practices and industry culture that tolerate abuse, discrimination, harassment and bullying,” wrote Hill who, of course, was at the center of accusations of workplace harassment against Supreme Court Judge Clarence Thomas during his confirmation hearing.
Hill stressed the need for continued work “to eliminate these behaviors.”
Chaired by Hill...
- 12/20/2022
- by Tom Tapp
- Deadline Film + TV
The Hollywood Commission, the research and advocacy organization chaired by Anita Hill and founded by board members Kathleen Kennedy and Nina Shaw, launched its second entertainment industry survey on Thursday. The survey is designed to probe and address the culture of abuse and power disparity throughout the film and TV industry.
The survey is now live at hollywoodentertainmentsurvey.org, and the Hollywood Commission encourages all members of the community to participate in its anonymous questionnaire. The commission has also expanded its survey’s demographics and will additionally have a focus on people working in the gaming sector.
Also Read:
5 Years of #MeToo: How the Movement Spread Beyond Hollywood – for Better and for Worse
The Hollywood Commission launched in 2017 at the height of the #MeToo movement and released its first industry-wide survey in 2020. It polled 9,650 entertainment workers in Hollywood who, at 65, overwhelmingly felt that even in light of calls for reform,...
The survey is now live at hollywoodentertainmentsurvey.org, and the Hollywood Commission encourages all members of the community to participate in its anonymous questionnaire. The commission has also expanded its survey’s demographics and will additionally have a focus on people working in the gaming sector.
Also Read:
5 Years of #MeToo: How the Movement Spread Beyond Hollywood – for Better and for Worse
The Hollywood Commission launched in 2017 at the height of the #MeToo movement and released its first industry-wide survey in 2020. It polled 9,650 entertainment workers in Hollywood who, at 65, overwhelmingly felt that even in light of calls for reform,...
- 10/20/2022
- by Brian Welk
- The Wrap
The Hollywood Commission is launching its second Entertainment Survey with the goal of giving voice to entertainment industry workers.
Chaired by Anita Hill and founded by board members Kathleen Kennedy and Nina Shaw, the Hollywood Commission was formed in 2017 to bring together entertainment executives, independent experts, and advisors to take the necessary collective steps toward tackling the culture of abuse and power disparity in the industry.
The survey is a temperature check to identify the progress that has been made up until now and where work still needs to be done. There’s a goal of 20,000 responses and the survey is now live through November 27 at hollywoodentertainmentsurvey.org
“As we seek to determine what systemic progress we have made over the past several years, the second Hollywood Commission Entertainment Survey is more important and in many ways consequential than our first,” said Hill.
“With this new edition, we hope to...
Chaired by Anita Hill and founded by board members Kathleen Kennedy and Nina Shaw, the Hollywood Commission was formed in 2017 to bring together entertainment executives, independent experts, and advisors to take the necessary collective steps toward tackling the culture of abuse and power disparity in the industry.
The survey is a temperature check to identify the progress that has been made up until now and where work still needs to be done. There’s a goal of 20,000 responses and the survey is now live through November 27 at hollywoodentertainmentsurvey.org
“As we seek to determine what systemic progress we have made over the past several years, the second Hollywood Commission Entertainment Survey is more important and in many ways consequential than our first,” said Hill.
“With this new edition, we hope to...
- 10/20/2022
- by Armando Tinoco
- Deadline Film + TV
Click here to read the full article.
“I’m Eager to Move on Beyond My Identity as a Survivor “
By Drew Dixon, a music producer and writer, and one of several women to accuse mogul Russell Simmons of rape in Dec. 2017. Simmons has denied the allegations.
Drew Dixon
I had no idea what I was getting into when I walked into The New York Times five years ago to talk about the most terrifying night of my life. I’d done my best to ignore the #MeToo stories dominating the news for the past several weeks. I kept hoping that the cascade of disturbing revelations wouldn’t implicate Russell Simmons.
I was proud of the other survivors who were coming forward, but I didn’t want to get involved in the #MeToo movement. I didn’t want to think anymore about the long-buried pain of the rape at all, but...
“I’m Eager to Move on Beyond My Identity as a Survivor “
By Drew Dixon, a music producer and writer, and one of several women to accuse mogul Russell Simmons of rape in Dec. 2017. Simmons has denied the allegations.
Drew Dixon
I had no idea what I was getting into when I walked into The New York Times five years ago to talk about the most terrifying night of my life. I’d done my best to ignore the #MeToo stories dominating the news for the past several weeks. I kept hoping that the cascade of disturbing revelations wouldn’t implicate Russell Simmons.
I was proud of the other survivors who were coming forward, but I didn’t want to get involved in the #MeToo movement. I didn’t want to think anymore about the long-buried pain of the rape at all, but...
- 9/30/2022
- by THR staff
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Click here to read the full article.
A week after I officially became a citizen of the U.S., the character I play on a television show — a fictional first female president of this same country — stood before members of the White House press corps and announced that she is gay.
Of course, I had filmed this months before on the set of Apple’s For All Mankind but the timing of the episode’s release was not and could not be lost on me. There have been a lot of curious, sometimes heart-wrenching moments of synchronicity throughout playing Ellen Wilson, but this one carries significant weight. I’m a newly minted American and, like Ellen, queer, and reeling in the wake of the Supreme Court’s reversal of Roe v. Wade and the bourgeoning threat to LGBTQ+ rights.
For those who don’t watch the show, this fictional first...
A week after I officially became a citizen of the U.S., the character I play on a television show — a fictional first female president of this same country — stood before members of the White House press corps and announced that she is gay.
Of course, I had filmed this months before on the set of Apple’s For All Mankind but the timing of the episode’s release was not and could not be lost on me. There have been a lot of curious, sometimes heart-wrenching moments of synchronicity throughout playing Ellen Wilson, but this one carries significant weight. I’m a newly minted American and, like Ellen, queer, and reeling in the wake of the Supreme Court’s reversal of Roe v. Wade and the bourgeoning threat to LGBTQ+ rights.
For those who don’t watch the show, this fictional first...
- 8/23/2022
- by Jodi Balfour
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
It’s been almost five years since The New Yorker published Ronan Farrow’s first exposé of Hollywood’s ugliest open secret, that Harvey Weinstein was a sexual predator, taking the #MeToo movement worldwide and forever shifting the conversation around the film industry’s horrifying treatment of women. The flurry of similar allegations that followed has slowed to a trickle, but there are many women in Hollywood who want to keep the issues front and center. The message is loud and clear in “Body Parts,” a clever and damning documentary about the history of nudity, sex scenes, and women’s bodies on film.
In a brisk 86 minutes, “Body Parts” mashes together interviews with the likes of Jane Fonda and Rosanna Arquette, analysis from film historians, intimacy coordinator trainings, and whirlwind montages from both classic and contemporary films. There’s a lot of ground to cover, and Guevara-Flanagan runs a tight ship.
In a brisk 86 minutes, “Body Parts” mashes together interviews with the likes of Jane Fonda and Rosanna Arquette, analysis from film historians, intimacy coordinator trainings, and whirlwind montages from both classic and contemporary films. There’s a lot of ground to cover, and Guevara-Flanagan runs a tight ship.
- 6/16/2022
- by Jude Dry
- Indiewire
Chicago – The Spring Season continues on Saturday, May 7th, 2022, as the Chicago Humanities Festival presents an amazing day of forums and speakers. Kicking off the day will be a woman of history … in a week where we need her … as Anita Hill speaks on the topic of “Believing Women,” the subject of her new book. Ending the day will be mondo film director John Waters, speaking on his new book, “Liarmouth: A Feel-Bad Romance.” In between, the full day will have many other forums and discussions, click Chf May 7th for schedule, details and ticket information.
Professor Anita Hill & Director John Waters at the Chicago Humanities Festival
Photo credit: ChicagoHumanities.org
The Chicago Humanities Festival is a Windy City institution that began in 1959, to express the rich ideas of the humanities to a wider public audience. The Humanities Day expanded and was established in 1990, and the current iteration is a year-round presenter of events.
Professor Anita Hill & Director John Waters at the Chicago Humanities Festival
Photo credit: ChicagoHumanities.org
The Chicago Humanities Festival is a Windy City institution that began in 1959, to express the rich ideas of the humanities to a wider public audience. The Humanities Day expanded and was established in 1990, and the current iteration is a year-round presenter of events.
- 5/4/2022
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Meghan Markle supports President Joe Biden's Supreme Court nomination of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson! In an op-ed penned by Anita Hill for URL Media, she and the Duchess of Sussex reflect on the positive ramifications of the first Black woman being nominated to the U.S. Supreme Court. "The civil rights history of tomorrow is being written today," Markle wrote in the op-ed published on Feb. 28. "Judge Jackson's nomination has opened new ground for women's representation at the highest level of a judicial system that for too long has tilted against the very community she hails from."
She continued, "For the millions of young women who will rightfully find inspiration from this moment, let's remind ourselves that Black achievement is something that exists not just today or yesterday, and not just in moments of celebration, but as a fabric woven into the entire chronicle of the American story."
In...
She continued, "For the millions of young women who will rightfully find inspiration from this moment, let's remind ourselves that Black achievement is something that exists not just today or yesterday, and not just in moments of celebration, but as a fabric woven into the entire chronicle of the American story."
In...
- 2/28/2022
- by Princess Gabbara
- Popsugar.com
Exclusive: Anita Hill, who was thrust into the national spotlight when she accused U.S. Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas of sexual harassment, is launching her own podcast.
The author, lawyer and feminist icon has teamed up with Malcolm Gladwell’s Pushkin Industries to launch Getting Even with Anita Hill.
The weekly audio series, which launches on February 28, will feature conversations between Hill and a range of guests revealing their own stories of vulnerability and accountability while carving unconventional pathways to equality.
The first episode will see Hill weigh in on the upcoming Scotus pick and what it means for the country. She will examine the 1991 Senate Judiciary Committee hearings and what would have happened if the Senate had taken the issue of sexual harassment and its role in evaluating character and fitness for judges more seriously.
Guests will include civil rights activist Kimberlé Crenshaw, author and professor Tressie McMillan Cottom,...
The author, lawyer and feminist icon has teamed up with Malcolm Gladwell’s Pushkin Industries to launch Getting Even with Anita Hill.
The weekly audio series, which launches on February 28, will feature conversations between Hill and a range of guests revealing their own stories of vulnerability and accountability while carving unconventional pathways to equality.
The first episode will see Hill weigh in on the upcoming Scotus pick and what it means for the country. She will examine the 1991 Senate Judiciary Committee hearings and what would have happened if the Senate had taken the issue of sexual harassment and its role in evaluating character and fitness for judges more seriously.
Guests will include civil rights activist Kimberlé Crenshaw, author and professor Tressie McMillan Cottom,...
- 2/22/2022
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
Seymour Wishman, who was president of distributor First Run Features for nearly four decades and produced the documentary feature Sex & Justice, has died. He was 79.
First Run confirmed that he died January 29 in Bridgewater, Ct.
Wishman started out as a criminal and civil rights attorney in New York and New Jersey and became an assistant in the latter’ Essex County. He went on to serve as a deputy assistant to President Jimmy Carter in the Office of Public Liaison during the 1970s.
In 1984, he became president of First Run Features, an NYC-based indie distributor that has focused on documentaries. The company is the U.S. home of Michael Apted’s Up franchise, starting with 28 Up in 1984 and later including all films in the series. It also release Before Stonewall (1984) and After Stonewall (1999). First Run re-released the former in 2019 to mark the 50th anniversary of the uprising that was a watershed...
First Run confirmed that he died January 29 in Bridgewater, Ct.
Wishman started out as a criminal and civil rights attorney in New York and New Jersey and became an assistant in the latter’ Essex County. He went on to serve as a deputy assistant to President Jimmy Carter in the Office of Public Liaison during the 1970s.
In 1984, he became president of First Run Features, an NYC-based indie distributor that has focused on documentaries. The company is the U.S. home of Michael Apted’s Up franchise, starting with 28 Up in 1984 and later including all films in the series. It also release Before Stonewall (1984) and After Stonewall (1999). First Run re-released the former in 2019 to mark the 50th anniversary of the uprising that was a watershed...
- 2/15/2022
- by Erik Pedersen
- Deadline Film + TV
Seymour Wishman, a longtime producer, writer, legal expert and president of First Run Features, died on Jan. 29 at a family home in Bridgewater, Conn., his daughter Samantha confirmed to Variety. He was 79.
Over the past 38 years, Wishman had served as president of First Run Features. During his time at the N.Y.-based independent film distribution company, Wishman brought Michael Apted’s “28 Up” (and later the entire “Up” series) to the United States and helped Ross McElwee finish and release “Sherman’s March” — as well as McElwee’s other films, including “Bright Leaves” and “Six O’Clock News.” Wishman also released Spike Lee’s “Joe’s Bed-Stuy Barbershop: We Cut Heads” (the director’s first feature film and his graduate school thesis), Cheryl Dunye’s “The Watermelon Woman,” Jan Svankmajer’s “Alice” and many other independent pictures.
On the production side, Seymour co-directed and produced “Sex & Justice,” a documentary on...
Over the past 38 years, Wishman had served as president of First Run Features. During his time at the N.Y.-based independent film distribution company, Wishman brought Michael Apted’s “28 Up” (and later the entire “Up” series) to the United States and helped Ross McElwee finish and release “Sherman’s March” — as well as McElwee’s other films, including “Bright Leaves” and “Six O’Clock News.” Wishman also released Spike Lee’s “Joe’s Bed-Stuy Barbershop: We Cut Heads” (the director’s first feature film and his graduate school thesis), Cheryl Dunye’s “The Watermelon Woman,” Jan Svankmajer’s “Alice” and many other independent pictures.
On the production side, Seymour co-directed and produced “Sex & Justice,” a documentary on...
- 2/14/2022
- by Wyatte Grantham-Philips
- Variety Film + TV
In 2017, at the height of the #MeToo movement, actor, comedian and writer Sarah Ann Masse came forward with sexual misconduct allegations against Harvey Weinstein.
In the years since, Weinstein has been convicted of rape, sentenced to 23 years in New York prison and awaits another sexual assault trial in Los Angeles. All the while, Masse has taken power back into her own hands by launching her own initiative, Hire Survivors Hollywood, and by bringing her activism to projects in which she’s been cast to ensure better working conditions and increased opportunities for survivors who have faced retaliation in the entertainment business.
As Weinstein’s rape conviction stands to possibly be overturned, allegations of sexual misconduct continue to be leveled against a number of high-profile men in Hollywood. Just this month, individuals have come forward with allegations against “Sex and the City” actor Chris Noth, CNN’s Chris Cuomo and “X-Men” director Bryan Singer.
In the years since, Weinstein has been convicted of rape, sentenced to 23 years in New York prison and awaits another sexual assault trial in Los Angeles. All the while, Masse has taken power back into her own hands by launching her own initiative, Hire Survivors Hollywood, and by bringing her activism to projects in which she’s been cast to ensure better working conditions and increased opportunities for survivors who have faced retaliation in the entertainment business.
As Weinstein’s rape conviction stands to possibly be overturned, allegations of sexual misconduct continue to be leveled against a number of high-profile men in Hollywood. Just this month, individuals have come forward with allegations against “Sex and the City” actor Chris Noth, CNN’s Chris Cuomo and “X-Men” director Bryan Singer.
- 12/21/2021
- by Elizabeth Wagmeister
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Sarah Jeffery (The CW’s Charmed), Emmy nominee Jane Adams (Hacks), Jake Weber (Those Who Wish Me Dead) and Balthazar Getty (Twin Peaks) will star in Year of the Fox, the latest feature from award-winning director Megan Griffiths, which has wrapped production in the state of Washington.
The film written by Eliza Flug is a fictionalized depiction of teenage experiences and personal encounters she had while growing up in Aspen, Colorado, during the last of its utopian heyday. Set in 1997, it tells the story of 17-year-old Ivy (Jeffery), who was adopted as an infant into a wealthy and notable Aspen family and is now navigating the fallout of her parents’ bitter divorce.
Ivy’s mother, Paulene (Adams), prepares to relocate to her native Seattle, taking Ivy with her. But Ivy’s influential and controlling father, Huxley (Weber), pulls Ivy ever closer by inviting...
The film written by Eliza Flug is a fictionalized depiction of teenage experiences and personal encounters she had while growing up in Aspen, Colorado, during the last of its utopian heyday. Set in 1997, it tells the story of 17-year-old Ivy (Jeffery), who was adopted as an infant into a wealthy and notable Aspen family and is now navigating the fallout of her parents’ bitter divorce.
Ivy’s mother, Paulene (Adams), prepares to relocate to her native Seattle, taking Ivy with her. But Ivy’s influential and controlling father, Huxley (Weber), pulls Ivy ever closer by inviting...
- 10/21/2021
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Three and a half years into Time’s Up’s short lifespan, the nonprofit is making more of a case for why it might not be able to achieve its goals rather than becoming a victory for women seeking safer workplaces.
It’s clear the organization started with good intentions. Springing out of the immediate chaos, confusion and fury of Harvey Weinstein’s storied history of sexual assault finally coming to light, Time’s Up represented the widespread urgency among women in the entertainment industry to do something — anything — to improve how it functions. The original founding statement, drafted in early 2018, is signed by over 300 women from across entertainment, representing some of the sector’s most powerful players. At the time, the organization was also leaderless, both because it was brand new and because it perhaps felt more unified, or at least more democratic, to present a front in which every...
It’s clear the organization started with good intentions. Springing out of the immediate chaos, confusion and fury of Harvey Weinstein’s storied history of sexual assault finally coming to light, Time’s Up represented the widespread urgency among women in the entertainment industry to do something — anything — to improve how it functions. The original founding statement, drafted in early 2018, is signed by over 300 women from across entertainment, representing some of the sector’s most powerful players. At the time, the organization was also leaderless, both because it was brand new and because it perhaps felt more unified, or at least more democratic, to present a front in which every...
- 8/27/2021
- by Caroline Framke
- Variety Film + TV
Hallmark Channel announced the premiere dates of six all-new movies releasing as part of the network’s “Fall Harvest” programming event, running from Sept. 11 through Oct. 16. The program lineup includes fall romances and holiday specials, alongside a Mystery Movies round of films.
The lineup of new films start on Sept. 11 at 6 p.m. with “Roadhouse Romance,” starring Lauren Alaina and Tyler Hynes. The movie follows country music fan Callie, who is determined to continue her late grandfather’s legacy, and TV director Luke, who encourages her to look forward instead of back. The following week features “Raise A Glass To Love,” on Sept. 18 at 6 p.m., starring Laura Osnes and Juan Pablo Di Pace as Jenna and Argentinian winemaker Marcelo, who fall in love at Jenna’s family vineyard. “Taking The Reins,” which follows a writer who goes back home for an article about horses and discovers what ended her...
The lineup of new films start on Sept. 11 at 6 p.m. with “Roadhouse Romance,” starring Lauren Alaina and Tyler Hynes. The movie follows country music fan Callie, who is determined to continue her late grandfather’s legacy, and TV director Luke, who encourages her to look forward instead of back. The following week features “Raise A Glass To Love,” on Sept. 18 at 6 p.m., starring Laura Osnes and Juan Pablo Di Pace as Jenna and Argentinian winemaker Marcelo, who fall in love at Jenna’s family vineyard. “Taking The Reins,” which follows a writer who goes back home for an article about horses and discovers what ended her...
- 8/10/2021
- by Ethan Shanfeld
- Variety Film + TV
Matthew D. Loeb was re-elected to a fourth full term as international president of IATSE on Thursday, winning the post without opposition after a tumultuous year for the entertainment union.
Loeb has held the post for 13 years. He was re-elected by acclamation along with a slate of officers, including General Secretary-Treasurer James B. Wood and 17 vice presidents and trustees.
“I accept my nomination with a great sense of duty, humility, and determination, and I am honored to continue to serve as IATSE’s International President,” Loeb said in a message on Twitter.
Over the past year, the union has been wracked by the Covid-19 pandemic and the racial reckoning that followed the murder of George Floyd.
Most of its 150,000 members in the U.S. and Canada were put out of work during the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic. The union was involved in safety negotiations that helped restart film and TV production last September.
Loeb has held the post for 13 years. He was re-elected by acclamation along with a slate of officers, including General Secretary-Treasurer James B. Wood and 17 vice presidents and trustees.
“I accept my nomination with a great sense of duty, humility, and determination, and I am honored to continue to serve as IATSE’s International President,” Loeb said in a message on Twitter.
Over the past year, the union has been wracked by the Covid-19 pandemic and the racial reckoning that followed the murder of George Floyd.
Most of its 150,000 members in the U.S. and Canada were put out of work during the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic. The union was involved in safety negotiations that helped restart film and TV production last September.
- 7/30/2021
- by Gene Maddaus
- Variety Film + TV
Matt Loeb, running unopposed, was re-elected Thursday to a new four-year term as president of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees during the union’s 69th Quadrennial Convention. Loeb, who’s been president of IATSE since 2008, has run unopposed at each of the previous three conventions: in 2009, 2013 and 2017.
In 2008, he was the unanimous choice of the union’s general executive board to succeed Tommy Short upon his retirement.
“I accept my nomination with a great sense of duty, humility, and determination, and I am honored to continue to serve as @IATSE’s International President,” he tweeted today.
I accept my nomination with a great sense of duty, humility, and determination, and I am honored to continue to serve as @IATSE’s International President.#TogetherWeRise https://t.co/p1PVyampVp
— Matthew D. Loeb (@matthewloeb) July 30, 2021
Loeb’s slate of running mates – known as “Matt’s Team” – were also returned to office.
In 2008, he was the unanimous choice of the union’s general executive board to succeed Tommy Short upon his retirement.
“I accept my nomination with a great sense of duty, humility, and determination, and I am honored to continue to serve as @IATSE’s International President,” he tweeted today.
I accept my nomination with a great sense of duty, humility, and determination, and I am honored to continue to serve as @IATSE’s International President.#TogetherWeRise https://t.co/p1PVyampVp
— Matthew D. Loeb (@matthewloeb) July 30, 2021
Loeb’s slate of running mates – known as “Matt’s Team” – were also returned to office.
- 7/30/2021
- by David Robb
- Deadline Film + TV
In the new era of pay equity and harassment protections, few workers in the film and TV industry have less of either than background performers.
SAG-AFTRA says that pre-pandemic, 15% of its 160,000 members “typically worked background in a given year, which dropped to only 11% last year,” down from about 24,000 a year to just 17,600 in 2020. They earn union pay and benefits but often work alongside non-union extras who do exactly the same work for a lot less pay and no benefits – the very definition of pay inequity.
And many background actors complain of mistreatment on the set. Since the rise of the #MeToo movement, more than three years ago, SAG-AFTRA has taken numerous measures to combat sexual harassment in the workplace, but many background performers feel that they’re still vulnerable to bullies and sexual predators.
More than half of the 221 union and non-union background performers who took part in a recent...
SAG-AFTRA says that pre-pandemic, 15% of its 160,000 members “typically worked background in a given year, which dropped to only 11% last year,” down from about 24,000 a year to just 17,600 in 2020. They earn union pay and benefits but often work alongside non-union extras who do exactly the same work for a lot less pay and no benefits – the very definition of pay inequity.
And many background actors complain of mistreatment on the set. Since the rise of the #MeToo movement, more than three years ago, SAG-AFTRA has taken numerous measures to combat sexual harassment in the workplace, but many background performers feel that they’re still vulnerable to bullies and sexual predators.
More than half of the 221 union and non-union background performers who took part in a recent...
- 6/22/2021
- by David Robb
- Deadline Film + TV
It doesn’t matter how pure a sound is when it catches the ear’s attention, someone in the music industry will find a way to infect it. Pop music is infectious by design, and Netflix’s This Is Pop, reveals the delivery system. The eight-part docuseries focuses on some of the less unexamined moments of the most scrutinized genre in music. It is as depressing as it is exhilarating, and it barely skips a beat.
Much like the recent Apple TV+ series 1971: The Year That Music Changed Everything, This is Pop shows how pop music reflects and influences culture. Music has always been a great unifier, both for listeners and musicians. Regardless of race, faith, or sexual preference, everyone has a favorite song, and people are drawn to the art of music from every background. What starts as a neighborhood sound moves beyond the streets, and for every Boyz II Men,...
Much like the recent Apple TV+ series 1971: The Year That Music Changed Everything, This is Pop shows how pop music reflects and influences culture. Music has always been a great unifier, both for listeners and musicians. Regardless of race, faith, or sexual preference, everyone has a favorite song, and people are drawn to the art of music from every background. What starts as a neighborhood sound moves beyond the streets, and for every Boyz II Men,...
- 6/22/2021
- by Alec Bojalad
- Den of Geek
40 Actresses In Their 40s Who Are Still Conquering Hollywood (Photos)
Amy Adams (1974)
Academy Award nominated Amy Adams, is best known for playing in Disney’s “Enchanted” and “American Hustle.” She most recently starred in Tom Ford’s “Nocturnal Animals.”
Kerry Washington (1977)
Kerry Washington broke out in films like “Ray,” two “Fantastic Four” movies and Quentin Tarantino’s “Django Unchained” but really came into her own on the small screen, picking up Emmy nominations for her work in Shonda Rhimes’ “Scandal” and for playing Anita Hill in the HBO film “Confirmation.” In 2020, she starred with Reese Witherspoon in “Little Fires Everywhere.”
Katherine Heigl (1978)
After her breakout role as Izzie Stevens in “Grey’s Anatomy,” Heigl went on to star in “Knocked Up,” “27 Dresses,” and “State of Affairs.” She recently starred in Netflix’s 2021 “Firefly Lane.”
Zoe Saldana (1978)
Zoe Saldana is best known for starring in science fiction films, ranging from “Avatar...
Amy Adams (1974)
Academy Award nominated Amy Adams, is best known for playing in Disney’s “Enchanted” and “American Hustle.” She most recently starred in Tom Ford’s “Nocturnal Animals.”
Kerry Washington (1977)
Kerry Washington broke out in films like “Ray,” two “Fantastic Four” movies and Quentin Tarantino’s “Django Unchained” but really came into her own on the small screen, picking up Emmy nominations for her work in Shonda Rhimes’ “Scandal” and for playing Anita Hill in the HBO film “Confirmation.” In 2020, she starred with Reese Witherspoon in “Little Fires Everywhere.”
Katherine Heigl (1978)
After her breakout role as Izzie Stevens in “Grey’s Anatomy,” Heigl went on to star in “Knocked Up,” “27 Dresses,” and “State of Affairs.” She recently starred in Netflix’s 2021 “Firefly Lane.”
Zoe Saldana (1978)
Zoe Saldana is best known for starring in science fiction films, ranging from “Avatar...
- 6/16/2021
- by Greg Gilman and Rasha Ali
- The Wrap
Tyner Rushing has booked a recurring guest star role alongside Chris Pratt in the upcoming thriller drama series “The Terminal List” for Amazon Prime Video, Variety has learned exclusively.
Tyner will play James Reece’s (Pratt) close friend Liz Riley, a former Army pilot, who is described as being “equal parts wit and warmth.” The character hails from Alabama, and her friends — especially James Reece — mean everything to her. As they’ve been to hell and back together, there’s no danger she wouldn’t face for them. “When the going gets tough, this ‘Bama born badass only gets tougher,” Amazon says.
“The Terminal List” follows James, a Navy Seal, after his entire platoon is ambushed during a high-stakes covert mission. When James returns home, he experiences conflicting memories of the event and questions his own culpability. As new evidence comes to light, he realizes there are dark forces working against him,...
Tyner will play James Reece’s (Pratt) close friend Liz Riley, a former Army pilot, who is described as being “equal parts wit and warmth.” The character hails from Alabama, and her friends — especially James Reece — mean everything to her. As they’ve been to hell and back together, there’s no danger she wouldn’t face for them. “When the going gets tough, this ‘Bama born badass only gets tougher,” Amazon says.
“The Terminal List” follows James, a Navy Seal, after his entire platoon is ambushed during a high-stakes covert mission. When James returns home, he experiences conflicting memories of the event and questions his own culpability. As new evidence comes to light, he realizes there are dark forces working against him,...
- 5/25/2021
- by Ethan Shanfeld
- Variety Film + TV
The Anita Hill-led Hollywood Commission has partnered with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers to develop a pilot program to protect workers at independent production companies from workplace misconduct.
Founded in 1993 to protect the rights of farmworkers, the Ciw received the 2014 Presidential Medal for its efforts at combatting human trafficking, and was featured prominently in Rape in the Fields, a PBS Frontline exposé of sexual abuse of migrant farmworkers.
“Independent production companies face a number of unique challenges,” the commission said in a statement. “They are often small in size and lack adequate resources and internal expertise to put systems in place that prevent workplace misconduct. In addition, victim reporting options at these companies are limited and at times require victims to bring complaints to their abuser.”
In its recent survey of entertainment industry workers, the commission found that those working on small productions are more likely to report egregious...
Founded in 1993 to protect the rights of farmworkers, the Ciw received the 2014 Presidential Medal for its efforts at combatting human trafficking, and was featured prominently in Rape in the Fields, a PBS Frontline exposé of sexual abuse of migrant farmworkers.
“Independent production companies face a number of unique challenges,” the commission said in a statement. “They are often small in size and lack adequate resources and internal expertise to put systems in place that prevent workplace misconduct. In addition, victim reporting options at these companies are limited and at times require victims to bring complaints to their abuser.”
In its recent survey of entertainment industry workers, the commission found that those working on small productions are more likely to report egregious...
- 5/25/2021
- by David Robb
- Deadline Film + TV
Last month, producer Andrew Coles spoke out against Scott Rudin, bringing to light disturbing allegations of workplace abuse.
Once a development executive for Scott Rudin Productions, Coles, who is now a producer on projects like “Queen & Slim,” went on the record in the bombshell report that led to Rudin’s downfall, following decades of bullying and workplace harassment, which has been regarded as one of Hollywood’s long-running open secrets.
After he accused Rudin of workplace abuse, Coles says he believes he was targeted in a possible effort to scare him into silence.
Cole agreed to go on the record for the Hollywood Reporter’s Rudin report on April 5, which he says was set to be published two days later on April 7 — but by April 6, Cole says, news of the article leaked and word of the story started getting around town.
“On April 6, someone called the mental health crisis...
Once a development executive for Scott Rudin Productions, Coles, who is now a producer on projects like “Queen & Slim,” went on the record in the bombshell report that led to Rudin’s downfall, following decades of bullying and workplace harassment, which has been regarded as one of Hollywood’s long-running open secrets.
After he accused Rudin of workplace abuse, Coles says he believes he was targeted in a possible effort to scare him into silence.
Cole agreed to go on the record for the Hollywood Reporter’s Rudin report on April 5, which he says was set to be published two days later on April 7 — but by April 6, Cole says, news of the article leaked and word of the story started getting around town.
“On April 6, someone called the mental health crisis...
- 5/21/2021
- by Elizabeth Wagmeister
- Variety Film + TV
Bullying in Hollywood “is an industrywide problem,” said Anita Hill, chair of the Hollywood Commission, during a panel discussion Thursday titled “Bullying and Toxic Workplaces in Hollywood.”
“The level of bullying, to put it mildly, is deeply troubling,” she said, noting that a commission survey of nearly 10,000 industry workers found that 3 out of 4 workers ages of 18-29 experienced some form of bullying in 2019, and that women and people with disabilities were more likely to be the victims of bullying.
But with the recent revelations about producer Scott Rudin’s decades of bullying behavior, she asked: “Is this time different? Now is the time for those inside the industry to decide if we are ready to seize the moment and begin the hard work of ending bullying in our workplaces, and if so, how will we proceed? All of us have a stake in this. Bullying and other abuse acts as...
“The level of bullying, to put it mildly, is deeply troubling,” she said, noting that a commission survey of nearly 10,000 industry workers found that 3 out of 4 workers ages of 18-29 experienced some form of bullying in 2019, and that women and people with disabilities were more likely to be the victims of bullying.
But with the recent revelations about producer Scott Rudin’s decades of bullying behavior, she asked: “Is this time different? Now is the time for those inside the industry to decide if we are ready to seize the moment and begin the hard work of ending bullying in our workplaces, and if so, how will we proceed? All of us have a stake in this. Bullying and other abuse acts as...
- 5/20/2021
- by David Robb
- Deadline Film + TV
The Anita Hill-led Hollywood Commission released new data on Friday from its recent survey of entertainment industry workers showing “pervasive issues of toxic workplaces, bullying and abuse in entertainment” and highlighting “the dire situation among the industry’s assistants and production workers.”
“Harvey Weinstein and Scott Rudin may have been the most boldface examples of abuse of power in Hollywood, but they are not outliers,” said Hill, who chairs the commission. “Hollywood has systematically recruited and mistreated a vulnerable class of workers out in the open, in the name of ‘paying dues.’ For there to be real and lasting culture change across Hollywood’s businesses and ranks, then it can no longer ignore how its entry-level employees are hired and treated and must provide the training, resources and modeling necessary to stop the cycles of abuse and retaliation, full-stop.”
The commission’s report found that “Nowhere in Hollywood is...
“Harvey Weinstein and Scott Rudin may have been the most boldface examples of abuse of power in Hollywood, but they are not outliers,” said Hill, who chairs the commission. “Hollywood has systematically recruited and mistreated a vulnerable class of workers out in the open, in the name of ‘paying dues.’ For there to be real and lasting culture change across Hollywood’s businesses and ranks, then it can no longer ignore how its entry-level employees are hired and treated and must provide the training, resources and modeling necessary to stop the cycles of abuse and retaliation, full-stop.”
The commission’s report found that “Nowhere in Hollywood is...
- 5/14/2021
- by David Robb
- Deadline Film + TV
The Anita Hill-led Hollywood Commission on Friday announced a series of free panels and industry training sessions with the aim to curb bullying in the entertainment business.
The panels feature speakers such as Steven Soderbergh, Amy Baer, Liz Alper, Andrew Coles and others and will run throughout the end of May. Hill says that the reports of abuse surrounding Harvey Weinstein and Scott Rudin are “not outliers” in the industry, and the commission has recommended steps industry leaders can take to address rampant bullying.
“Harvey Weinstein and Scott Rudin may have been the most boldface examples of abuse of power in Hollywood, but they are not outliers. Hollywood has systematically recruited and mistreated a vulnerable class of workers out in the open, in the name of ‘paying dues,’” Anita Hill, chair of the Hollywood Commission, said in a statement. “For there to be real and lasting culture change across Hollywood’s businesses and ranks,...
The panels feature speakers such as Steven Soderbergh, Amy Baer, Liz Alper, Andrew Coles and others and will run throughout the end of May. Hill says that the reports of abuse surrounding Harvey Weinstein and Scott Rudin are “not outliers” in the industry, and the commission has recommended steps industry leaders can take to address rampant bullying.
“Harvey Weinstein and Scott Rudin may have been the most boldface examples of abuse of power in Hollywood, but they are not outliers. Hollywood has systematically recruited and mistreated a vulnerable class of workers out in the open, in the name of ‘paying dues,’” Anita Hill, chair of the Hollywood Commission, said in a statement. “For there to be real and lasting culture change across Hollywood’s businesses and ranks,...
- 5/14/2021
- by Brian Welk
- The Wrap
The fact that we have an International Women’s Day means we are still in trouble. There is no International Men’s Day. Only less powerful people or forgotten historical events need “A Day” to be part of the present. Yet it’s an important step because any notice is better than no notice.
On this International Women’s Day, we might start by admitting why women are subordinated in the first place. We have the one thing that men don’t have — wombs — and they can’t perpetuate themselves or differences of race and class without controlling or influencing us.
Until the 1960s, interracial marriage was illegal in some parts of this country, and children not “owned” by a man were “illegitimate.” Even now, right-wing groups object to abortion or clinics that teach contraception, mostly because white women have been choosing to have fewer children on average than women of color.
On this International Women’s Day, we might start by admitting why women are subordinated in the first place. We have the one thing that men don’t have — wombs — and they can’t perpetuate themselves or differences of race and class without controlling or influencing us.
Until the 1960s, interracial marriage was illegal in some parts of this country, and children not “owned” by a man were “illegitimate.” Even now, right-wing groups object to abortion or clinics that teach contraception, mostly because white women have been choosing to have fewer children on average than women of color.
- 3/8/2021
- by Gloria Steinem
- Variety Film + TV
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.