Directors Guild of America National Executive Director Jay D. Roth announced that three senior executives, Russ Hollander, David Korduner and Bryan Unger, will take the title of Associate National Executive Director, with each responsible for different areas related to representation, service and the management of the Guild.
The organizational changes are intended to provide greater clarity about leadership roles and responsibilities for each of the Guild’s core functions while also more clearly defining the role of the National Office and the regional offices.
“I am very pleased that Bryan, Russ and David will be taking on the additional role and title of Associate National Executive Director,” said Roth. “Bryan, Russ and David have been key components of the Guild’s growth and stability for many years now, and they are all exceptionally talented and dedicated members of our staff. The Guild and our members are in very good hands.”
Bryan Unger’s full title will be Associate National Executive Director/Western Executive Director. In this capacity, he will have national responsibility for administration and enforcement of the Basic Agreement; Low Budget Agreement; all Dramatic Programming (including Basic Cable); Creative Rights; Diversity; and Agency Relations.
Unger began his career at the DGA in 1994 as an Assistant Executive Director. He was promoted to Associate Western Executive Director in 1999 and then to Western Executive Director in 2000. Prior to joining the DGA, Unger worked in film and television production for several years before becoming a labor executive at NABET Local 15 and then serving for five years as an International Representative with the IATSE in New York. He graduated from the New York University Film School.
Russ Hollander’s full title will be Associate National Executive Director/Eastern Executive Director. In this capacity, he will have national responsibility for administration and enforcement of the Freelance Live and Tape Television Agreement; the National Commercial Agreement; all Non-Dramatic Programming (including Basic Cable); New Media; all Network News, Sports and Operations; and all Local Stations.
Hollander joined the DGA in 2001 as Assistant Eastern Executive Director and was promoted to Eastern Executive Director in 2002. Prior to joining the DGA, he was a partnerย at Cohen, Weiss and Simon LLP, a law firm representing labor organizations and employee benefit plans. Hollander received his law degreeย from Harvard University and his undergraduate degree from Cornell University’s School of Industrial and Labor Relations.
Additionally, Unger will be responsible for local service and representation related to the Western offices of the Guild, while Hollander will be responsible for local service and representation related to the Eastern offices of the Guild. These local duties include: responsibility to local councils and coordinating committees; field operations; monitoring member work, non-union work, discipline and local organizing; and geographical contract administration and enforcement.
David Korduner’s full title will be Associate National Executive Director/Senior General Counsel. In this capacity, he will have responsibility for oversight and management of Guild departments including Residuals; Membership; Credits; Reports Compliance; Signatories; Human Resources; and Legal.
Korduner first joined the DGA as Associate General Counsel from 1995-2001 before becoming Senior Counsel, Labor Relations at ABC/Touchstone Television and Senior Counsel, Legal Affairs at Disney/ABC Cable Networks. Korduner rejoined the Guild in 2005 and was promoted to General Counsel in 2007. He received his B.A. with honors from UC-Santa Cruz, his M.Sc from the London School of Economics and his J.D. from the UCLA School of Law.
“I believe these well-deserved promotions and organizational changes will enhance the Guild’s ability to serve the membership with even greater excellence and commitment to representation and service,” Roth added.
All three Associate National Executive Directors will continue to report directly to the National Executive Director, as will the Communications, Finance, Government Affairs, Operations and Special Projects departments.
Contact:DGA Sahar Moridani (310) 289-5333
“ฦvolution” Comes Full Circle At The Chelsea Film Festival
The Chelsea Film Festival, running from October 16th through October 20th, 2024, at Regal Cinemas here in Union Square, is set to host the East Coast premiere of ฦvolution, a thought-provoking experimental micro-short film that proves big ideas can come in small packages and in perfect circles.
In just 1 minute 16 seconds, this cinematic gem by Award-Winning Director Romina Schwedler, with original music by Argentine Composer Ignacio Montoya Carlotto, explores a cycle as old as time: life leads to progress, progress leads to destruction, and destruction, well, leads back to life. But is this vicious circle unbreakable? ฦvolutionย suggests the answer is yes, unless we decide to open our eyes.
Inspired by the overwhelming number of recent events that threaten human existence,ย ฦvolution, possibly the shortest film in this 12th edition of the festival, plays out entirely through the symbolism of circles, cleverly illustrating โin the blink of an eyeโ the repeating patterns of history, and confronting viewers with the uncomfortable truth that our so-called โprogressโ may, in fact, be guiding us to our own ruin.Premiering at the Regal 14 Union Square, New York City, on October 18, 2024, at 11 a.m., Romina Schwedler's micro-short, featuring Leah Young with cinematography by Alan J. Carmona, will be sure to spark conversations longer than the film itself! Forcing viewers to reconsider the true meaning of evolution, not just as a biological process, but as a reflection of our collective journey as humans.
With a string of festival appearances across the globe, including CineGlobe at CERN (Switzerland/France), Oscarยฎ... Read More