PRESS RELEASE: A Historic First: UBCP/ACTRA Approves First-Ever Union Vertical Series
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Vancouver, July 5th, 2025 - In a landmark moment for Canadian entertainment, UBCP/ACTRA has signed the first-ever union vertical series. This development marks a major step forward in legitimizing and supporting the fast-growing vertical filmmaking format within a union agreement.
Monika Dalman, casting director and co-founder of the Vertical Film and Short Series Alliance, shared the news with visible emotion:
“I’ve cried at least five times today. This is such an important step forward for our industry, and I’m beyond grateful.”
The Vertical Film and Short Series Alliance (VFSSA) is an organization dedicated to professionalizing and elevating the vertical format - a storytelling style rapidly taking Hollywood by storm. This custom agreement represents a breakthrough for both performers and the vertical content industry.
For actors, it opens the door to union vertical work with established minimum fees, insurance and retirement benefits, protections for children, work involving stunts or intimate scenes. For producers and platforms, it establishes a scalable framework, that protects performers tailored to the unique demands of vertical storytelling, offering global usage rights for a defined three-year period.
As a flexible pilot outside the standard collective agreement, this agreement sets a precedent for how emerging formats can be professionally structured, ethically cast, and creatively resourced.
“UBCP/ACTRA has been an absolute dream to work with - over 20 pages of thoughtful, performer-first work,” continued Dalman, “They have truly gone above and beyond to keep actors working and to support the growth of vertical production.”
Key Highlights of the Agreement:
Custom Union Terms for Vertical Content - tailored to the unique workflows and distribution models of vertical content
Pathway for union talent
Clearly Defined Role Categories
Three-Year Usage Term
A Flexible Pilot for the Future
A Win for Collaboration and Advocacy
“This agreement brings a new path of work opportunity to UBCP/ACTRA Members. As the industry evolves and exciting new opportunities to tell stories emerge, UBCP/ACTRA is alongside industry to ensure that our members are able to deliver their talent and professionalism to create great productions on safe sets,” said UBCP/ACTRA Keith Martin Gordey. “This pilot agreement creates an opportunity to further grow and support BC’s Film and TV industry”
For more information on UBCP/ACTRA please visit https://ubcpactra.ca/.
ABOUT THE VERTICAL FILM & SHORT SERIES ALLIANCE
The Vertical Film & Short Series Alliance (VFSSA) is a community-led industry collective dedicated to framing the future of vertical storytelling. It supports and elevates professionals - actors, directors, crew, casting directors, producers, and platform partners - by offering advocacy, industry-led education, practical tools, mentorship, networking events, and recognition opportunities. VFSSA bridges producers, platforms, unions, and talent to help professionalize the vertical format, ensuring that mobile-first, short-form storytelling is recognized, resourced, and respected across the industry.
Press Inquiries: Alicia Read, vfssaorg@gmail.com
###