People Are Praising Adam Driver For Calling Out Major Studios At The 2023 Venice Film Festival

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Amid the ongoing industry strikes, Adam Driver stood tall at a recent film festival in Italy.

closeup of him in a suit
Mondadori Portfolio / Mondadori Portfolio via Getty Images

The 39-year-old actor was at the Venice Film Festival to promote his new film Ferrari but wanted to clarify that he "stands in solidarity" with the striking SAG-AFTRA actors on the picket lines.

him in suit and sunglasses
Mondadori Portfolio / Mondadori Portfolio via Getty Images

Since July 14, the American actors' union SAG-AFTRA has been on strike with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP).

writers on strike

SAG-AFTRA joined the Writers Guild of America (WGA), who have been on strike with AMPTP since May 2.

Hollywood To You / GC Images

Under the SAG-AFTRA Codified Basic Agreement and Television Agreements, actors must abide by specific rules that withhold them from performing and promoting any work in press tours, award shows, conventions, and festivals like in Venice.

people showing their signs
Ndz / GC Images

Adam isn't breaking any strikes rules for his appearance in Venice to promote the biopic of Italian motor racing driver and entrepreneur Enzo Ferrari — and here's why:

Ferrari, directed by Michael Mann and produced by Neon and STX, has an interim agreement with SAG because it was made independently of the AMPTP and complied with the rules and regulations of SAG.

American actors Adam Driver, Patrick Dempsey and American director Michael Mann at the 80 Venice International Film Festival 2023
Mondadori Portfolio / Mondadori Portfolio via Getty Images

According to Rolling Stone, here's what Adam had to say during the film's press conference regarding the film and support for the ongoing strikes.

  Anadolu Agency / Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
Anadolu Agency / Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

"I'm very happy to be here to support this movie — the truncated schedule that we had to shoot it, and the efforts of all the incredible actors working on it, and the crew — but also, I'm very proud to be here to be a visual representation of a movie that's not part of the AMPTP, and to promote the SAG leadership directive, which is an effective tactic, which is the interim agreement."

adam at the festival looking up at the sky
Ernesto Ruscio / Getty Images

Adam voiced that the SAG interim agreements can benefit the cause because they "stop the bleeding a little bit" by allowing "independent movies to be made" by members of SAG and the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE), another entertainment union on the verge of joining the strikes.

closeup of him
Elisabetta A. Villa / Getty Images

Adam went on to directly call out major studios involved for not working toward an agreement with SAG-AFTRA.

"The other objective is to obviously say, why is it that a smaller distribution company like Neon and STX International can meet the dream demands of what SAG is asking for…but a big company like Netflix and Amazon can't?"

  Ernesto Ruscio / Getty Images
Ernesto Ruscio / Getty Images

"And every time people from SAG go and support a movie that has agreed to these terms, an interim agreement, it just makes it more obvious that these people are willing to support the people they collaborate with and the others are not."

closeup of adam giving an interview
Nbc / Todd Owyoung / NBC via Getty Images

"Understanding the interim agreement, it's a no-brainer for all of these reasons why you'd want to support your union, and I'm here because of that: to stand in solidarity with them by showing up and further proving the point that it's really about the people you make it with."

Adam Driver shows his support for the Hollywood strikes at a press conference for his latest film "Ferrari" in Venice. pic.twitter.com/CP27HCTkn1

— AP Entertainment (@APEntertainment) August 31, 2023

twitter.com /status/1697268003165925818 / AP

Rolling Stone said that director Michael Mann, known for notable films like Heat and The Insider, agreed with Adam, also supporting the Writer's Guild.

closeup of michael

"No big studio wrote us a check, and that's why we're here standing in solidarity with both unions," Michael finished.

closeup of adam and michael
Maria Moratti / Getty Images

And now, people are praising Adam for calling out the major studios at the Venice Film Festival:

Finally, we're seeing the different players in the film industry stepping up to meet demands. It's empowering to see smaller distribution companies excel, highlighting the potential for positive change. Kudos to them!

— Global Observer X (@GlobalObserverX) August 31, 2023

Twitter: @GlobalObserverX

he is goat for this, i have not seen any big actor of his caliber naming the studio directly like that. Adam goatriver

— deserted scope DEAD RECKONING (@DesertedScope) August 31, 2023

Twitter: @DesertedScope

Absolutely true.. its high time adam driver raised and spilles the beans on this... Its true its hurtful how some execs who cant write, who cant act plan based on their remuneration.. its just bloodsucking... Great to hear this from adam driver.

— Pen & Paper (@PranjibBaruah) September 1, 2023

Twitter: @PranjibBaruah

this is so right on
we didn't another reason to love him and yet here we are

this comment on a clip of adam driver’s statement about the sag strike 😭 pic.twitter.com/trikGz72Df

— live action tangled anti (@dernswift) August 31, 2023

Twitter: @dernswift

Genius, lucid speaker... cinematic swashbuckler (plus he's walking the plank here poking AMPTP, wow, this is where the creatives line up right now - even non-union folks have watched everything spin down to redistribution of the wealth away from creatives).

— Quendrith Johnson (@Quendrith) September 1, 2023

Twitter: @Quendrith

This is why he’s the goat

— Sam McGaw ‎ (@samkmcgaw) August 31, 2023

Twitter: @samkmcgaw