MARCO CIGLIA, DGA First Assistant Director
DGA 1stAD local hire in the EU & Budapest - FAQ
AICP COMMERCIALS
When transporting a DGA director from North America, no DGA waiver is required to engage Marco as a DGA 1stAD local hire in Budapest on commercials with 3 or fewer shoot days. For commercials with 4 or more shoot days, a waiver of DGA National Commercial Agreement Section 1-202(A) must be requested as a matter of procedural courtesy. If the DGA director is from the rest of the world no waiver is needed regardless of the number of shoot days.
FEATURE FILMS & TV DRAMA
When transporting a DGA director from North America to work on a production based in Budapest, and you want to engage Marco as 1stAD, you should give the Guild written notice, that a 1stAD will not be be taken from the USA, as a matter of procedural courtesy.
Reasons for using a local guild member with 30 years industry experience are fairly obvious: local filming knowledge, established crew relationships and huge cost savings, but with specific regards to the DGA BA Section 17-200**, a US 1stAD assignment "would result in a loss of a foreign production subsidy". This is due to the qualifying incentive programme which makes Marco eligible for both the cultural test (as a HU tax resident) and the production subsidy at 37.5% instead of 0% for US residents. In the EU, nearly all film tax rebates attract a foreign subsidy or points for hiring EU citizens. Ultimately the final decision on the DGA 1stAD hire belongs to the Producer & Director of the project.
Please reach out to me directly, if you have any questions or need my assistance to help engage with my DGA reps in this matter.
** BA Section 17-200 - "No (USA) First Assistant Director need be sent to any foreign production where an applicable foreign labor restriction, quota or law prohibits such an assignment or when such assignment would result in a loss of a foreign production subsidy"
NB: The information provided is intended for general knowledge and understanding, and should not be relied upon as legal advice or used as evidence in a legal setting.