GFDD/Funglode and SAG-AFTRA Discuss Dominican Film Development

Dr. Leonel Fernández, President of GFDD/Funglode and former President of the Dominican Republic met with executives from the Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) to analyze the potential for relations between the organizations and the Dominican film industry.

During the encounter, Fernández emphasized opportunities for domestic labor and foreign investors resulting from the passing of Law No. 108-10
(Law for the Promotion of Cinematographic Activities in the Dominican Republic). Likewise, he analyzed the chance to lay the foundations for both institutions to strengthen the upward trajectory of Dominican filmmakers through their inclusion in the North American film industry.

Omar de la Cruz, Executive Director of the Global Dominican Film Festival, explained the technical aspects of Law No. 108-10 to the SAG-AFTRA and maintained that the legislation has been fundamental for recent advances in the Dominican film industry, given that it has not only increased the quantity of films produced in the Dominican Republic, but also that it has led to higher quality and production value. These
events have led to the official designation of the Global Dominican Film Festival as the first Caribbean film festival in the International Federation of Film Producers Associations (FIAPF).

During the meeting, other important topics such as actors’ rights and the U.S. film system were discussed, and invitations were extended for SAG-AFTRA experts to present discussions, conferences, and workshops in the Dominican Republic.

Present during the
discussions were FUNGLODE representatives Guillermo Sención, entrepreneur; Omar Fernández, lawyer; Yamile Eusebio, Acting Co-Executive Director of GFDD; José Zaiter, Director of FUNGLODE in Florida; Jimmy Sierra, filmmaker; and Sonia Díaz, representative of Balsera Communications. Meanwhile, on behalf of SAG-AFTRA, Adam Moore, National Director, EEO and Diversity and Sarah Howes, Counsel, Legal & Government Affairs, also attended the discussions.

SAG-AFTRA
represents approximately 160,000 actors, announcers, broadcast journalists, dancers, DJs, news writers, news editors, program hosts, puppeteers, recording artists, singers, stunt performers, voiceover artists and other media professionals. SAG-AFTRA members are the faces and voices that entertain and inform America and the world. With national offices in Los Angeles and New York, and local offices nationwide, SAG-AFTRA members work together to secure the strongest protections for media
artists into the 21st century and beyond.

About Global Foundation for Democracy and Development (GFDD):
The Global Foundation for Democracy and Development (GFDD), sister organization of Funglode in the United States, is a non-partisan and non-profit organization dedicated to the promotion of collaboration between organizations in the United States and the Dominican Republic in order to conduct research, enhance public debate, design public
policy, propose strategies and provide training to facilitate change in crucial areas of the social, economic and democratic development of the Dominican Republic, the Caribbean and Latin America.