In The News
SAG-AFTRA Adopts Guidelines For Employers Who May Make Covid-19 Vaccinations Mandatory
EXCLUSIVE: SAG-AFTRA has adopted strict new guidelines for employers who may soon make Covid-19 vaccinations mandatory as a condition of employment. To date, vaccinations of casts and crews are not mandatory on film and TV productions under the industry’s return-to-work protocols, which expire June 30 and are currently being renegotiated by the major companies and Hollywood’s unions. – Deadline
Studios, Guilds Agree to Extend Return-to-Work Safety Protocols to June 30
“The current contract was scheduled to expire April 30, but the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) and the industry’s top guilds — including SAG-AFTRA, IATSE, the DGA, the Teamsters and the Basic Crafts — have agreed to keep the current protocols in place for another few months.
That will give them more time to hash out the details of the updated on-set protocols, and work through questions like, “Should vaccines be mandatory on film and television sets?” As of now, they are not — but strict safety protocols, including mask-wearing, social distancing and frequent testing, are being followed to keep COVID-19 from spreading.” – Hollywood Reporter
LD 1334 Public Hearing scheduled for Wednesday, May 12, 2021 at 9:30am
LD 1334, An Act To Promote Economic Development through Increased Film Incentives
SUMMARY that appears at the end of the bill as printed:
“This bill makes multiple changes to the tax credits available to visual media production companies operating in the State. The bill makes the available tax credits refundable, increases the credits for certain expenses incurred in Maine and for hiring residents of Maine and offers additional credits for visual media productions that are located in certain Maine counties, are set in Maine or have a lead cast member, writer or director who is a Maine resident. The bill also reduces the total expenditures needed to qualify for the credits, extends the time period for visual media production companies to certify with the Department of Economic and Community Development and sets a $500,000 limit on the total value of the tax credits that increases to $1,000,000 after January 1, 2026. The bill makes other changes necessary for these provisions.”
Join a Film Incentives Legislation and Maine Media Makers Panel Discussion
Monday, May 10, 2021, from 7:00 – 8:30pm
The panel, moderated by MFA Advocacy Committee Chair Louise Rosen, consists of the bill’s legislative sponsor, Representative Suzanne Salisbury of Westbrook; the citizen advocates behind the bill, Erik Van Wyck and Daniel Stephenson; and a certified public accountant who specializes in film incentives, Irene Wachsler. They will break down the legislative jargon for you, field your questions about what it means for the Maine media industry, and guide you through the legislative process and how you can make your voice heard on this issue.
“Maine Voices: Film-media community has room to become a far bigger part of Maine’s economy”
The Maine Film Office has been saying this (loudly) for years and it’s great to hear more voices echo the message: Maine’s film/tv/media industry is a viable – and important – part of Maine’s economy. The film industry supplies value-added benefits and is inextricably linked to Maine art, business, tourism, and other industries. The value-added resources offered by the industry help get the Maine message out there and can be a valuable resource for the State’s recovery efforts and Economic Development Strategy.
The headline above is from Portland Press Herald’s “Maine Voice Columns”. I encourage you to read the column and join the conversation. Our collective voice is much louder than our individual voices.
