Distributors Shopping for Movies at Fall Festivals Must Agree to New SAG-AFTRA Contract Terms
variety.comMatt Donnelly Senior Film Writer Movie distributors headed to this year’s fall film festivals hoping to buy select star-studded indie films must be prepared to agree to new contract terms from SAG-AFTRA, the union’s chief negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland said Tuesday.
During a broad press conference on the topic of SAG-AFTRA’s interim agreements program — under which some movies and TV projects can shoot or engage in publicity during the ongoing strike — Crabtree-Ireland confirmed what many in the indie film world have been sweating over for weeks.
If a film has received a SAG-AFTRA interim agreement, any potential buyer must agree to the union’s proposed new deal. This includes a chunk of streaming revenue for actors.
Parties on all sides of the labor strike fear this will deter buyers from acquiring these movies, especially the big-spending streamers, sources told Variety over the past weeks. “The contract contains assumption provisions which require any party that acquires rights under that collective bargaining agreement to assume the obligation to pay the residuals that are required by the contract,” the executive said.
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