A federal appeals court on Thursday limited the amount of raw footage that a filmmaker must release from his documentary about a legal fight between Chevron and Ecuadoreans over oil contamination.
The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said in a two-page order that filmmaker Joseph Berlinger no longer has to give Chevron all 600 hours of raw footage that was used to create “Crude,” a documentary that was released last year.
A three-judge panel of the appeals court said Berlinger must produce only the raw footage that shows lawyers for Ecuadoreans who sued Chevron Corp., private or court-appointed experts in that proceeding and current or former officials of Ecuador’s government.
The appeals court also said the raw footage could be used solely for litigation, arbitration or submission to official bodies, whether they be local or international.
The appeals court heard the case a day earlier after a lower court judge had ordered Berlinger to turn over all his raw footage. Berlinger appealed.
Berlinger said he was “extremely pleased” with the ruling because it substantially limits what must be produced.
“Furthermore, the court has expressly prohibited Chevron from using any footage we do turn over in their public relations campaigns, a goal that was extremely important to me,” he said. “The courts have affirmed that documentary filmmakers are journalists deserving of First Amendment protection.”
Chevron lawyer Randy Mastro said he also was “extremely pleased” with the appeals court ruling and that it came quickly so Chevron can obtain the evidence “to defend against a travesty of justice in Ecuador.”
He said plaintiffs’ counsel who sued Chevron were on screen in the film more than 70 percent of the time “so the outtakes are likely to be similarly dominated by them and all of that footage now has to be produced.”
Karen Hinton, who represents lawyers for the Ecuadoreans, strongly disagreed with the court’s decision.
“This ruling undermines investigative journalism during a time when more aggressive inquiry is sorely needed in the oil industry,” she said.
The lawsuit in Ecuador stems from a 17-year-old legal fight. Ecuadoreans say their land was contaminated during three decades of oil exploration and extraction by Texaco Inc., which became a wholly owned subsidiary of San Ramon, Calif.-based Chevron Corp. in 2001.
Chevron says the raw footage will help bolster its case that lawyers for the plaintiffs have worked to manipulate the judicial system in Ecuador for their own benefit.
Directors Amy+Pilar and Jose Antonio Prat Join Reform School
Boutique content production company Reform has added comedy directing duo Amy+Pilar (Amy York Rubin and Pilar Boehm) and award-winning multicultural director Jose Antonio Prat to its roster for U.S. representation spanning commercials and branded entertainment.
Partners in both life and art, Amy+Pilar are know for their sharp wit and comedic timing. Their synchronicity is evident in a body of work across TV, film and commercials. Prior to joining Reform School, Amy+Pilar had been repped in the ad market by production company Knucklehead.
Amy has directed high-profile comedy sketches featuring stars like Amy Schumer, Kate McKinnon, and Sarah Silverman. On the episodic front, Amy has helmed for series such as Fresh Off the Boat, Casual, Superstore and Angie Tribeca--as well as the pilot for the hit Netflix comedy Dead to Me.
Before joining forces with Amy behind the camera, Pilar was a psychotherapist, a background that informs her ability to create fascinating characters and stage irresistible, nuanced performances. Amy and Pilar’s shared passion for comedy brought them together. Their collaboration began with a Synchrony Bank campaign, starring cult-comedy favorite Maribeth Monroe (Workaholics), and they went on to direct the pilot of the Hulu series Love, Victor. Amy+Pilar’s ad fare also includes spots for Uber’s “Go-Get” campaign and “Shift,” starring Martin Starr.
“We have been fans of Amy and Pilar for a long time,” said Ryan Ennis, executive director at Reform School. “They excel at capturing comedic performances and dialogue. Coming from the TV and L.A. comedy scenes, they’ve built a strong following and collaborated with some of our favorite funny people.... Read More