The Screen Actors Guild officially stands opposed to the California ballot initiative that would ban same-sex marriage.
After weeks of being criticized for not contributing enough to defeat Proposition 8, members of the film-TV industries have recently stepped up their contributions – financial and otherwise – to fight Proposition 8, and on Tuesday a union committee voted to oppose the measure.
“No actor should have to disclose his or her sexual preference in order to get health and retirement benefits,” said SAG Chairwoman Anne-Marie Johnson. “Being legally married means everyone is treated the same. It’s important that we take a stand to protect all actors from discriminatory hiring practices and provide same-sex couples access to benefits.”
SAG said the organization does not endorse political candidates, but the actors union often takes positions on ballot initiatives. The union’s Colorado branch previously announced it is opposing Amendment 47, a right-to-work measure on the state’s November ballot which would bar unions from requiring nonunion workers to pay dues.
In the last two weeks, several SAG members have personally donated money to defeat Proposition 8, according to state fundraising records, including: “Two and a Half Men” actor Jon Cryer ($10,000); “Bones” actress Emily Deschanel ($2,000); “The New Adventures of Old Christine” actress Wanda Sykes ($3,500) and “In Plain Sight” actress Mary McCormack ($3,000).
Bensimon Byrne’s “Short Life Stories” For White Ribbon Wins ONE Screen Best of Show
“Short Life Stories,” created by Bensimon Byrne Toronto on behalf of White Ribbon, is the top winner in the global 2024 ONE Screen Short Film Festival, the premiere short film festival produced by The One Club for Creativity celebrating global filmmakers from both commercial advertising and film industries.
“Short Life Stories” tells a fictional story of a young trans woman as she celebrates the beginning of her new life and navigates the obstacles that ensue.
The work was selected by a global jury as 2024 ONE Screen Best of Show and Best of Region: North America, as well as winner in the Best Casting, Best Cinematography, Best Editing, Best Fiction, and Best Music Composition disciplines.
Klick Health Toronto also had a strong year with five ONE Screen wins. They include three for “47” on behalf of Café Joyeux (in Best Animation, Best Branded Entertainment Film, and Best Production Design), and two for “American Cancer Story” on behalf of Change the Ref (in Best Directing and Best Drama).
Other 2024 ONE Screen winners are as follows.
Craft winners
Best Emerging Filmmaker: Parker Schmidt Santa Monica “Bowl of Life”
Best Screenplay: Zulu Alpha Kilo Toronto “Living From Work” for Zulubot
Best Type on Poster: Lucky Together New York “Don’t F*ck With Ba”
Best Visual Effects: Candice Wu Los Angeles “Erasure”
Genre winners
Best Branded Content Film: Stink Films Berlin “The First Speech” for Reporters Without Borders
Best Comedy: FCB Chicago “The Last Barf Bag” for Dramamine
Best Experimental Film: Parker Schmidt Santa Monica “Bowl of Life”
Best Independent Film: Violeta Films Mexico City “The Mark... Read More