Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/57163
I AM PWD TRI-UNION SUMMIT BRINGS TOGETHER INDUSTRY EXECUTIVES AND PERFORMERS WITH DISABILITIES I AM PWD, a tri-union partnership to promote the inclusion of people with disabilities in the media, marked the end of its three- year campaign on January 11 with a bi- coastal industry summit held via videoconference. Disability IS Diversity: Reflecting the True American Scene, an event that included casting directors, filmmakers and studio and union representatives at the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles and at Baruch College in New York, focused on ways to increase the visibility of both actors and characters with disabilities in popular entertainment, as well as the employment of journalists with disabilities. At the event, cohosted by Danny Woodburn and Robert David Hall, a lively discussion focused on what was accomplished over the last three years and the work yet to be done. Keynote addresses were given by RJ Mitte (Breaking Bad) in Los Angeles and in New York by Kathleen Martinez, assistant secretary of labor at the U.S Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy. Although the tri-union campaign has drawn to an end, the unions will continue to push to increase visibility and opportunity for people with disabilities in the entertainment and news industries. Make Tax Time Less Taxing N eed help with your taxes? Through April 13, SAG members can get help via the Screen Actors Guild's Tax Assistance Program, which is generously supported by the SAG Foundation. SAG-TAP has a packet — available via email in PDF form — that may be helpful to members in putting together and organizing a tax return. To obtain a packet, email your request to SAGTAP@sag.org. You can also email this address with questions about the program. If you do not have email capability, you may call the SAG-TAP office at (323) 549-6666 and leave a message with your name and contact number; one of the volunteers will return your call within a few days. In addition, The Actors Fund is offering the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program, a free tax preparation service for low to moderate income entertainment industry workers and their families. This is the pilot season for VITA, which brings in IRS-certified volunteers to help prepare returns, and space is very limited. For eligibility criteria and further information, please visit The Actors Fund website at actorsfund.org and click the Services and Programs tab. The SAG Foundation also offers tax seminars from time to time. One will be held Wednesday, March 14, with Aaron Martinez, the Beverly Hills branch manager of H&R Block. Check sagfoundation.org for more information. These programs are not intended to imply an endorsement of any individual or company by SAG or the SAG Foundation. The information provided through the program is given for informational purposes and may not be a suitable substitute for the advice of a tax preparer/ professional, legal or financial counsel. You should always use good judgment in these matters and should not act or refrain from acting based solely on information provided through the program. SAG and Back Stage Co-Sponsor Event at Sundance Film Festival O n January 20, Screen Actors Guild in association with Back Stage hosted the third annual Tweet House at The Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah. The event included a panel and reception that featured Parnassus Group founder Steve Broback, actor Mackenzie Phillips (American Graffiti), Christian Acosta of SocialFlow and Daniel Holloway of Back Stage. The panel discussed the impact social media has on the promotion of creative projects, along with technological innovations in social media and film. Screen Actors Guild makes full use of social media, with Twitter handles @ScreenActors and @SAGNews, as well as with its Facebook page at facebook.com/screenactorsguild. 5