Summary
Actor, writer strikes halt Hollywood productions
Most stars prevented from attending Venice festival
Many A-listers steer clear in apparent solidarity
VENICE, Sept 8 – A strike by Hollywood actors kept most stars away from this year’s Venice Film Festival, and even the few A-listers who did venture into town seemed guilty about being on the red carpet rather than the picket line. On the last full day of the competition on Friday, Oscar winner Jessica Chastain told reporters she was “incredibly nervous” to come to Venice to promote her independent movie “Memory”, even though she had a waiver from unions to attend.
“Some people on my team advised me against it,” Chastain said, adding that she had decided to come to give vocal support for the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA).
Actors went on strike in July, joining writers who had walked off the job in May, to demand that streaming sites and film studios improve their contracts and impose curbs on the use of artificial intelligence.
