On October 6, DGA Associate Executive Director/Western Executive Director Rebecca Rhine, and DGA members Kevin Koster, Joe MJ Moore, and Shawn Pipkin-West represented the 19,500 Directors and members of the directorial teams of the Guild at a rally in support of the Motion Picture, Television, and Entertainment Revitalization Act.
The gathering at the Alex Theatre in Glendale, CA also featured U.S. Congresswoman Laura Friedman (CA-30), Senator Adam Schiff, U.S. Representatives Maxine Waters (CA-43), Judy Chu (CA-28), Linda Sanchez (CA-38), Pete Aguilar (CA-33), Ted Lieu (CA-36), David Min (CA-47), George Whitesides (CA-27), Derek Tran (CA-45), and members and staff from IATSE, SAG-AFTRA, WGA, Teamsters and LiUNA.
The legislation creates a national film tax credit covering qualified labor expenses, putting crews, performers, and craftspeople back to work on productions that have been leaving the country for decades. It stacks with state incentives and is designed to compete with the roughly 65 countries that already offer incentives the United States does not match. The DGA stands fully behind this proposed legislation and recognizes what it can mean to local jobs.
“This legislation is about jobs for the men and women who make films and television in America, and who have spent years … often decades building their careers, raising families, and creating a life around this work,” said Rhine.
“Today, they are struggling. Too many of them are wondering where their next job will come from. They want to work. They want to do that work here at home. But more and more of those opportunities are moving overseas … chasing incentives and leaving them behind.
“We have the most experienced workforce and infrastructure in the world. What we don’t have is a national policy that allows American workers to compete on a level playing field with the more than 65 countries aggressively pursuing this work. That’s why we need the bipartisan Motion Picture, Television, and Entertainment Revitalization Act.
“This is about protecting an iconic American industry that is beloved around the world, shaping how global audiences understand our country, our people and our values. This is about making stories of America in America.
“We thank Representative Freidman and Senator Schiff for your leadership on this as well as all of our political allies who have spoken today and our labor allies who are here to fight for their own members and everyone else’s.”
