IATSE Members Vote to Authorize Nationwide Film and TV Production Strike

Ben Croll “I asked myself, why was it so difficult to name a Quebecois film from the past 25 years that treated sexuality as its central theme?” Côté told Variety. “Why could France foster directors who filmed the human body in direct and unselfconscious ways, and Quebec could not? Were Quebecois more prudish than others?”And so the Montreal-based filmmaker started on his 14th feature, which follows three so-called “hypersexual” women, plagued with troubled histories and fragile mental states, as they participate in a month-long therapy retreat. But as he developed the script with a local sexologist, the filmmaker saw potential traps in two very different directions.“The film could never be meant to judge,” Côté explained.

Brett Bull Each January, the Motion Picture Producers Assn. of Japan holds a press conference to reveal the previous year’s box office data and its list of top-grossing films.One year ago — at what was then thought to be the height of the coronavirus pandemic — the event was a somber gathering: Receipts for 2020 were down a whopping 38% over the year before.On Jan.

Prince Frederic von Anhalt, Zsa Zsa Gabor’s ninth and final husband, was desperate for an heir – so he adopted an adult son and chronicled it on TV. The widower is one of many subjects featured on A&E’s "Adults Adopting Adults," which chronicles his quest to find someone in Beverly Hills who could inherit his estate and care for him. "I tried very hard to find somebody," the 78-year-old told Fox News Digital.

Naman Ramachandran Producer Shrihari Sathe of New York-based production company Dialectic is enjoying the best time of his life, with no less than three of his projects, each completely different in style, genre and tone, being selected at A-list festivals.The latest career high for Sathe began with Bangladeshi filmmaker Mostofa Sarwar Farooki’s continent-hopping, multilingual identity tale “No Land’s Man” being selected at Busan in October 2021, followed by Francisca Alegria’s Spanish-language magical realist drama “The Cow Who Sang a Song Into the Future” premiering at this year’s Sundance. Now, “Stay Awake,” an expansion of Jamie Sisley’s 2015 short film of the same name that premiered at the Berlinale and won the Jury Prize at Slamdance, makes its world premiere at the Berlin Film Festival’s Generation 14plus strand on Feb. 12.

Hannibal Mejbri admitted he found it 'difficult' to understand his Manchester United team-mates' Mancunian accents in 2019.

It's a quick turnaround for Manchester City as they prepare to continue their Premier League title defence against Norwich City on Saturday afternoon.

Chelsea and Newcastle United star Gavin Peacock still felt there was something missing.Perhaps it was the thrill of playing in front of a 100,000 strong Wembley crowd in the 1994 FA Cup final. Maybe it was the irreplaceable day-to-day dressing room culture all footballers fall in love with?Whatever it was, it was missing, and Peacock found himself “in need of a saviour”.A flight to Calgary, and many years off studying later, Peacock overhauled his life, left the BBC sofas for good, and embarked on a spiritually fulfilling quest as a pastor.

Playboy star Melissa Howe has revealed that the infamous mansion Grotto saw that much sex, the water became infected.The Berkshire born model, 31, lived at Hugh Hefner's famous Los Angeles mansion between 2013 and 2017, alongside her twin, Carla.During her time at the famous residence, Howe saw a string of A-list celebs walk through the doors and attended Hefner's mega parties at the California home, which had been surrounded by zoo animals.But there is one stand out memory for Melissa that she explains repulsed her after discovering the gruesome news following a string of raunchy, yet 'normal' events.Speaking exclusively to Daily Star, she told me: "I knew things were going on because we had a grotto in the garden, there would be craziness going on in the grotto with random people hooking up."The water was infected because they shut the grotto off."She went on to add in further detail: "When we heard that we were like 'what the f**k?' because we would be going in there all the time."We'd be chilling in groups because it was like a sauna, boiling up but when we heard that we were like 'okay, we're not going in there', people were having sex in the grotto." Following the news that a poodle became addicted to cocaine at the mansion, Melissa added: "His animals would always be going around the mansion, so I'm not surprised.

Stacey Dooley joined Dan Walker and Sally Nugent on Monday's episode of BBC Breakfast.The Strictly Come Dancing winner opened up about her demanding schedule, from documentaries, a new book and the launch of her new BBC Three cooking show, Hungry For It.The 34-year-old was questioned about her culinary skills at home but admitted she is no "sous chef".Her admission comes after the BBC Breakfast presenters quizzed her about boyfriend Kevin Clifton, 39.The documentary filmmaker cheekily quipped about the pair's romance as neither of them is skilled in the kitchen.Stacey remarked: "It's so jokes because I'm useless in the kitchen. I'm rubbish."Dan interjected: "Kevin's rubbish at cooking as well right?""Kev's useless," she agreed, before adding: "It's a miracle we're still standing."Stacey added: "We just have toast."The presenter also opened up about her time working behind the scenes of her new series.Dan commented: "I'm disappointed you did a cooking show and didn't come out with a signature dish."Stacey replied: "No.

James Martin is back on our screens this morning with the latest episode of his cooking show Saturday Morning. However, many fans are likely to want to know a little more about the television chef and his life off-screen as well.James has been in a relationship with his girlfriend Louise Davies for over 10 years.The pair tend to keep their personal life to themselves and are rarely seen in public together.However, James has opened up in the past about their relationship, as well as why they won’t have children.Speaking in an unearthed interview from 2018, Jame explained he doesn't want kids.He said: “I go round to my mate’s house, who has four kids, and realise that I don’t want them after about two minutes."Kids are great, but it’s just no, not for me.“You sacrifice so much in this work and the job and everything else.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are 'loving life' in California and have amassed celebrity pals like Katy Perry, an expert has claimed.Royal commentator Richard Mineads gave a positive latest assessment of the royal couple's experience in their Montecito mansion since baby Lilibet’s birth.Speaking the London Evening Standard, he revealed that Archie and Lilibet have been going on playdates with celebrity's children whilst the Sussexes mingle with the likes of Katy, Orlando Bloom, Ellen DeGeneres and Oprah Winfrey.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media WriterThe studios have made some concessions on IATSE’s demands regarding long production hours, but an agreement still remains “a ways off,” according to an update from one IATSE local on Thursday.David O’Ferrall, the business agent of IATSE Local 487, told members that the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers had agreed to 10-hour turnaround times on all productions. He also said there had been “movement on weekend turnarounds” — one of the union’s top priorities.Negotiators are hoping to avert a strike, which would shut down TV and film production across the country.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media WriterContract talks between the studios and the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees were still underway late Wednesday and are expected to continue on Thursday.As is typically the case during collective bargaining, the negotiators were abiding by a media blackout. The blackout and the fact that talks are going into a third consecutive day could be read as an encouraging sign that the sides believe that a deal can be reached.The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers presented a revised proposal on Tuesday, and the union side was said to be huddling and coming up with its counteroffer.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media WriterBron Studios, the production company that churns out highbrow fare alongside studio films, was sued on Wednesday for allegedly misusing loan proceeds and failing to repay $14 million to an investor.Hudson Private LP filed the suit in federal court in New York. Hudson has invested in numerous Bron titles and alleges that the company has failed to meet its obligations with respect to four of them: “Bombshell,” “Capone,” “The Survivor” and “Greyhound.”Hudson also sued Creative Wealth Media, a Toronto-based film finance company which is the key backer of Bron Studios, as well as Creative Wealth’s managing partner, Jason Cloth.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media WriterIn 2015, IATSE International President Matthew Loeb went into the negotiating room determined to do something about long hours worked on productions. The issue has been a sore point among members for years, especially after there were car accidents caused by drowsy driving.In the final hours of negotiating, Loeb made a fervent speech to his counterparts at the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers.“I only wish every rank-and-file member could have witnessed his fire and passion,” Scott Bernard, the business representative of Local 695 reported afterward.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media WriterLet the waiting begin.Negotiations between the studios and the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees are expected to continue on Wednesday as the sides try to avoid a strike that would shut down production and immediately cripple Hollywood’s content pipeline.In what could be taken as a sign of progress, the two sides are not saying much publicly about the negotiations. One union official told Variety that the latest proposal from the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers was a “nothingburger,” but otherwise union officials have been fairly quiet.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media WriterNegotiators from the International Association of Theatrical Stage Employees and the studios returned to the bargaining table on Tuesday in hopes of averting a TV and film production strike, but no deal was immediately in sight.The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which represents the studios, presented its latest proposal.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media WriterSome 60,000 members of the International Association of Theatrical Stage Employees received ballots on Friday morning asking them to authorize the first nationwide strike in the union’s history.Members will have three days to vote, with ballots due at 9 p.m. PT on Sunday night.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media WriterA year after the COVID-19 pandemic shuttered the entertainment industry worldwide, the studios are churning out content at a breakneck pace. Workers are in high demand, and it has been hard for some shows to find enough grips and set decorators to keep up.It’s somewhat strange, then, to think that it could all come to a screeching halt.But this weekend, the International Association of Theatrical Stage Employees will hold a vote on whether to authorize a strike that would once again shut down the industry.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media WriterIn 2006, Haskell Wexler made a documentary about brutally long hours on film sets entitled “Who Needs Sleep?” The issue had become a flashpoint years earlier, when Brent Hershman died in a car crash after working a 19-hour day on the set of “Pleasantville.”Wexler wanted to know why nothing had been done. In the film, he adopted a “Roger & Me” pose — only his villain wasn’t some big corporation.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media WriterAs a strike authorization vote looms, some IATSE members have decided to cancel their streaming subscriptions in hopes of sending a message that would hit the studios in the pocketbook.Workers in the below-the-line entertainment unions are gearing up to vote to authorize a strike this weekend, amid anger over long production hours without adequate break periods. The nascent campaign to cancel streaming subscriptions has spread online, but without the blessing or direction of union leadership.“It’s purely grassroots, as a means of getting the attention of these streaming services,” said Terri Freedman, who works in craft services and is a member of IATSE Local 80.