Furthering the Global Work of Intimacy Coordinators

Intimacy coordinators continue to be an integral part of combating sexual harassment in the industry and making performers feel more empowered when participating in intimate and hyper-exposed scenes on set. And, as SAG-AFTRA furthers its initiatives to create and standardize guidelines for this unique role, the union’s work is extending beyond Hollywood. 

As part of the Jerusalem Women’s Film Festival — an initiative of the Israeli Film & Television Directors Guild to highlight female-driven films and filmmakers — SAG-AFTRA participated in the Intimacy Coordinators for Film & TV panel. SAG-AFTRA President Gabrielle Carteris, Intimacy Professionals Association founder Amanda Blumenthal and Directors Guild of America member Sally Brunski were guest speakers. Joining them was Erga Yaari, founder of the Israeli intimacy coordinators organization IPA ISRAEL, and Jonathan Mordechay, one of the country’s most prominent music video directors and independent filmmakers. Israeli Directors Guild Chief Executive Officer Roei Elba moderated the panel.

The group discussed the role of intimacy coordinators within the American and Israeli film and television industries, and the benefits they bring to set. Panelists also offered their thoughts on how the use of intimacy coordinators can be more widespread, and what is needed to ensure intimacy is depicted safely.

“Every performer has different needs, and I always tell them, ‘I’m here to meet you wherever you are and figure out how we can best work together.’”

“I always want to work with an intimacy coordinator because my goal is to make sure the set is comfortable,” said Brunski, “And with intimacy coordinators, it’s good to have someone [with] that level of understanding about what the intimate scenes are going to be, what's going to be shown and what the actor is willing to do or not do.”

This presentation was part of the SAG-AFTRA President’s Task Force on Education, Outreach & Engagement livestream series. For more panels and workshops, visit sagaftra.org/videos. To hear the SAG-AFTRA podcast episode featuring Blumenthal and Intimacy Directors International co-founder Alicia Rodis about the intimacy coordinators and their work, click here.

The views expressed by the guests are their own and not that of SAG-AFTRA. Any mention of products or services does not imply SAG-AFTRA’s endorsement.