MUMBAI: The Writers Guild of America (WGA) has reached interim agreements with the Film Department and Intermedia. The guild says that it continues to sign agreements with companies that value the essential role writers play in making films, television programmes and content for new media.

WGA West president Patric M Verrone and WGA East president Michael Winship said, “Companies like Intermedia and the Film Department recognise the importance of signing a deal that compensates writers fairly for the work they do. In turn, we have designed an agreement for the entertainment industry that takes into account the economic realities that it faces.”

Intermedia president Linda Benjamin says, “We are pleased that we were able to conclude successful negotiations with the WGA so that we can move forward with our production slate across all media, while being able to provide fair and equitable compensation to the writers now and into the future. In light of this agreement, we will shortly be announcing our updated film and television slate.”

Intermedia Film is a global, independent media enterprise with affiliates in London and Los Angeles organised under Munich-based parent company, IM Internationalmedia AG. The core business of the company consists of the development, financing and distribution of high-quality theatrical films as well as TV productions.

The Film Department is an independent movie finance, production and international sales company founded by former Warner Independent Pictures and Miramax Films president Mark Gill and former Miramax Films EVP and Yari Film Group COO Neil Sacker. With capitalisation of $200 million, the company plans to fully finance and produce six films per year budgeted between $10 and $35 million.

The deal with both companies is similar to agreements the WGA recently reached with Lionsgate, RKO Productions, Marvel Studios, The Weinstein Company, United Artists, Sidney Kimmel Entertainment, Spyglass Entertainment, MRC, Jackson Bites, Mandate Films and Worldwide Pants.