Cine Gear Expo will open June 2 on Paramount Lot amid writers’ uncertainty

Cine Gear Expo – the annual exhibit that is expected to return to the Paramount Studios backlot this year on Friday, June 2 and Saturday, June 3 – is ready to welcome the Hollywood production community with 260 exhibitors as well as panels and screenings, but there’s c ‘was also uncertainty about how the writers’ strike might affect the participants.

Expo organizers did not post guidelines on its website or respond to requests for comment from The Hollywood Reporterbut in an email to exhibitors obtained from DAYCine Gear writes, “It is important to note that Cine Gear supports the Writers Guild of America’s fight for better working conditions and it is equally important to know that Cine Gear Expo is not a ‘strike’ event and the picketing you may encounter stems from a controversy working relationship between WGA and AMPTP of which Paramount is a member.

He continues, “Cine Gear staff and other assistance will be available at all respective gates to ensure a smooth flow of vehicles and pedestrians and are committed to ensuring a successful and enriching experience for all.”

There is no mention in the memo whether Cine Gear was in contact with the WGA or requested a waiver.

Attendees at Cine Gear, numbering in the thousands before the pandemic, included members of the International Cinematographers Guild (IATSE Local 600) and Studio Electrical Lighting Technicians (IATSE Local 728), who are among the organizations slated to present Saturday panels during this year Expo. As of press time, these sessions, as well as those presented by the American Society of Cinematographers and the Society of Camera Operators, remain on the event schedule posted on the Cine Gear website.

IATSE has signaled its support for writers, with International President Matthew Loeb saying in a statement: “IATSE supports the Writers Guild of America West and the Writers Guild of America East in their collective fight to win a fair contract from the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers on behalf of the talented workers they represent”.

Cine Gear returns to the studio this year, where the event had traditionally been held before the pandemic. The annual exhibit was canceled in 2020 and staged as a smaller event at the Los Angeles Convention Center in 2021 and 2022.