In-Person Q&As and Events

The studio or network hosting is responsible for all aspects of the event, including arranging a venue, booking a moderator, creating an invitation, managing RSVPs, sending confirmations, and check-in. The SAG Awards will approve invitations and send out to members.

BOOKING Q&A DATES

The SAG Awards does not allow competing official Nominating Committee FYC events. To invite the SAG Awards Nominating Committee to an event with a Q&A, you must hold and book the date on the SAG Awards Q&A Calendar Portal.

Register for a 2023 Q&A Calendar Portal Account

Q&A Calendar opens for holds on Monday, Nov. 13 at 10:30 a.m. PT

Due to the strike delay, holds for FYC events this year will be accepted in just one phase.

Fall/Winter
Dates: Wednesday, Nov. 15, 2023 - Saturday, Jan. 6, 2024

NEW for 2023: A maximum of 3 Q&As or special events per title between Los Angeles and New York are allowed during the pre-nom period.

Available Screening Time Slots
NEW for 2023: Morning, Afternoon, and Evening slots will be available for weekdays and weekends. Please see the screening start times for each slot below.

Screening Start Times:

  • Morning - 9 a.m., 9:30 a.m., 10 a.m., 10:30 a.m.
  • Afternoon - 2 p.m., 2:30 p.m., 3 p.m.
  • Evening - 6:30 p.m., 7 p.m., 7:30 p.m., 8 p.m.

Rules on Holds

  • If holding an event immediately following a screening, the time slot held on the Q&A calendar must accommodate both the title’s runtime and the anticipated event length.
  • Up to 4 consecutive days may be held per title, per city.
  • No more than 6 individual holds will be accepted for any given time slot. We will not accept holds in 7th place or higher.
  • We will not accept general or TBA holds. All holds require a film or television title. 
  • No more than 30 holds per title will be allowed per user. Any challenged dates won by another studio, or unused dates that pass will not count against this limit.

Challenging a Date

  • A company may challenge a hold only if the challenger is ready to book (i.e. venue and talent confirmed) if the original hold releases the date. 
  • Each hold ahead of the challenger will be contacted and given 24 hours to either book or release the date.

Booking a Date

  • You may only book a date if you have talent confirmed and a venue held for that time.
  • Any date held under a particular title must be booked under that same title. Any request to book under a different title must be approved by the Awards Office.
  • Cancellations: A company that books a date and then cancels will incur a penalty fee of $1,000.

Q&A AND EVENT GUIDELINES

  • Events to which Nom Comm members are invited must include access to screen the submitted performance(s).
  • Q&A panels should feature cast members and, aside from the moderator, may only include participants who are directly associated with the nominated project being screened.
    • At least one actor from the project must be present to discuss performance.
    • If doing multiple events, we encourage different cast or participants on the Q&A panel.
  • SAG Awards screenings may be shared with other industry voting groups (All Guilds, PGA, WGA, DGA, etc.).

Motion Picture

  • Films must be screened in their entirety and must be a final cut. The SAG Awards may consider exceptions on a case-by-case basis.

Television

  • Episodes screened must have aired during the calendar year of 2023.
  • Clips or sizzle reels are only approved for screening on a case-by-case basis, depending on the Q&A format. Please contact the Awards Office for approval.

Recording or Streaming Q&A Panels

  • Any recording and/or streaming of a live Q&A with SAG Awards voters must first be cleared with the Awards Office and requires a signed SAG Awards Q&A Coverage Agreement. If already on file, this covers a company for the duration of the season.
  • No agreement is necessary if pre-recording an event for our group.
  • If posting a recording of a SAG Awards event anywhere please note: Pre-Nom Q&As may only be referred to as the following listed below:
    • "SAG Awards Nom Comm Q&A" (or "SAG Awards Nom Comm Event")
    • "SAG Awards Q&A” (or “SAG Awards Event”)
    • “SAG Awards Nominating Committee Q&A” (or “SAG Awards Nominating Committee Event”)

EVENT RSVPS & CONFIRMATIONS

The SAG Awards will send out invitations for Q&As and events via E-Blast to Nominating Committee members or our SAG Awards RSVP (wide) list.

RSVPs

IMPORTANT: If not already on file, all studios, networks and agencies must sign a SAG Awards Non-Disclosure & Confidentiality Agreement to cover member information exchanged during the RSVP process.

  • Any URLs specific to our group must NOT use the term “SAG”. You may use “SAGAwards” or “SAGAwardsNomComm”.
  • When noting affiliation in RSVP webforms (drop-down menu, etc.), do not use the term “SAG”. You must use “SAG Awards Nom Comm”.
  • We suggest having 2 RSVP affiliation options - SAG Awards Nom Comm and SAG-AFTRA to differentiate between the Nom Comm and general SAG-AFTRA members attending screenings.

Confirmations

  • RSVP confirmation emails are required and must be sent to members via email 24 hours in advance of an event. 
  • Any members who RSVP after an event is filled must be notified that they are not confirmed to attend. 
  • Please include the following details:
    • Date, timing, and location of the event
    • Parking details if applicable
    • Any pertinent COVID-19 safety guidelines -  i.e. vaccination, testing or mask requirements, indoor/outdoor, etc.
    • Cancellation email

For more information on E-Blast and event invitation guidelines, requirements, fees, and templates click HERE.

STRAIGHT SCREENING OPTIONS

Awards Screening Websites

  • For studios/networks who would like to make their screening websites available to Nom Comm members for straight screenings only (without a Q&A), please send the URL to the Awards Office and it will be posted on our private Nom Comm member site.

OTHER GROUPS AVAILABLE FOR SCREENINGS

In addition to the SAG Awards Nominating Committees, companies may screen to the following SAG-AFTRA affiliated groups: 

SAG Awards “RSVP” Screening Program (general SAG-AFTRA members)

  • The SAG Awards has an email database of general members for screening invitations (also known as our “wide” list). This list contains active, paid-up members throughout the country who opted in to receive email notifications for FYC events, Q&As, and screenings sent throughout awards season.
  • Documentaries and non-eligible films or television shows are not permitted.
  • Straight screenings are only allowed if not in NY or LA.
  • E-blasts to the SAG Awards RSVP group are $1,000 each, with an optional reminder for $200.

SAG-AFTRA Foundation List

  • The SAG-AFTRA Foundation's e-blast list comprises nearly 43k active, paid up SAG-AFTRA members nationwide.
  • Unlike the SAG Awards RSVP group, the SAG-AFTRA Foundation does allow blasts for straight screenings, documentaries, and films not currently in contention (retrospectives).
  • E-blasts to the SAG-AFTRA Foundation group are $1,000 each, with an optional reminder for $200.
  • Contact Rochelle Rose at the SAG-AFTRA Foundation for more information.

Contact the Awards Office for more information. Titles screened to these affiliated groups will not count towards a title's maximum in-person event total.

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