Keira Knightley, Ruth Wilson, Fellow Actors Shutdown Film Industry Harassment
By Movieguide® Contributor
Several actresses, including THE PIRATES OF THE CARRIBEAN’s Keria Knightly and JANE EYRE’s Ruth Wilson, have created an open letter to fund the Creative Industry Independent Standards Authority (Ciisa).
The organization will investigate complaints of bullying and sexual harassment in the music, film, theater and TV industries.
“Bullying and harassment claims in the industry continue to abound,” the letter said.
“Actresses Cara Delevigne, Carey Mulligan, Rebecca Ferguson, Naomie Harris and Emerald Fennell have also put their name to the letter,” The BBC reported. “Male actors and performers including Guy Remmers, Jonny Sweet, Joshua McGuire and Rob Cawsey have also signed.”
Recent research shows that 92% of UK film workers have experienced or witnessed bullying or harassment, and one in five experience sexual assault.
The UK-based organization is supported by ITV, Sky, Channel 4, Viacom and The BBC.
Deadline reported the running costs will be $1.9m for the first year and over $2.5 m for the second.
“We are calling on you to make your final commitment to the creation of Ciisa…to keep our creative industries safe,” the stars wrote.
Ciisa aims to provide a “single place of accountability” in the film and TV industry.
“So many of us in this industry would have loved to have an objective outside body that we could go to for advice, for mediation and in the very extreme circumstances, that we might need some outside body to hold people accountable for the bad behaviour or bad practices that sometimes happen on our sets, on our stages, behind the scenes.”
Ciisa’s creation comes after the recent release of QUIET ON SET: THE DARK SIDE OF KIDS TV, which highlighted sexual abuse allegations against predators at Nickelodeon.
Many actors shared their concerns for members of the film industry after the documentary’s release.
Movieguide® reported in April:
BLUES CLUES’ Steve Burns is reacting to QUIET ON SET: THE DARK SIDE OF KIDS TV, a documentary that exposes sexual abuse allegations within kids TV network Nickelodeon.
“I don’t have any particular insight into any of that. I’m coming to it much the same as anyone else, with horror and heartbreak,” Burns told TODAY.com. “It’s just terrible to watch it unfold. I don’t know what else to say, other than that it’s heartbreaking.”
Burns displayed compassion for the victims, adding that it must be “unfathomably painful” for them to have their trauma known to the public.
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