Adam Driver and the cast of Michael Mann’s new film “Ferrari” took part in a press conference on Thursday at the Venice Film Festival after securing an interim agreement from SAG-AFTRA to promote the independently made film, and Driver took the opportunity to tout the interim agreement as an “effective tactic” during the ongoing strikes.
“I’m very happy to be here to support this movie, and the truncated schedule that we had to shoot it and the efforts of all the incredible actors working on it and the crew,” Driver told press. “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.”
Under the terms of the interim agreement, Neon and STX International – the distributors of “Ferrari” – agree to the terms set by SAG-AFTRA that the AMPTP has thus far failed to meet. Driver called out Netflix and Amazon for not meeting the demands.
“The other objective is obviously to 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 — this is pre-negotiations — the dream version of SAG’s wishlist, but a big company like Netflix and Amazon can’t?” Driver said. “And every time people from SAG go and support a movie that has met the terms of the interim agreement, it just makes it more obvious that these people are willing to support the people that they collaborate with, and the others are not.”
The ”Ferrari” cast is one of a few who secured interim agreements to promote their film during the fall film festival circuit, which kicks off this week with Venice and Telluride and continues next week with the Toronto International Film Festival. Some like Bradley Cooper, who directed and stars in the Netflix film “Maestro,” have opted to skip the festival premieres of their films in solidarity with SAG-AFTRA.
Mann, who has been working on “Ferrari” for years and got it made independently before Neon secured distribution this summer, echoed Driver’s comments by saying that “individually and collectively we all stand in total solidarity with SAG and the writers guild strike as well.”
Set in 1957, “Ferrari” follows ex-racer Ferrari (Adam Driver) as he faces multiple crises: his factory and family are under threat of bankruptcy, his marriage is in shambles due to the loss of their son Dino, his relationship with his other son outside his marriage is strained and his drivers are pushed to the edge as they launch into the treacherous 1,000-mile race across Italy, the Mille Miglia.
The film is set to hit theaters on Christmas Day.
