Shirley MacLaine Film Crew Unpaid a Year After Production Wrapped

Shirley MacLaine’s latest movie, “People Not Places,” wrapped production in Atlantic City a year ago. Ever since, dozens of crew members have been trying to get paid. In May, the New Jersey Department of Labor obtained a $672,749 judgment against Jeff Katz, the principal financier.

He has simply refused to pay.

In an interview with Variety, Katz acknowledges the judgment, but says the state is powerless to collect.
“They can’t enforce a judgment against me,” Katz says. “They can only put [liens] on things I have in New Jersey – which I don’t have.”

So now what?

Even in the often unsavory world of independent films, it’s unusual for a whole crew to simply go without pay. “People Not Places,” which also stars Stephen Dorff, is a labor of love for director Brad Furman. But it’s been a nightmare for those who have spent a year waiting for their checks.

“No one can tell us how to get the money,” says David Wechsler, who was the first assistant director on the project. “I’m hustling to pay my rent.”

Katz backed out of the project on the eve of principal photography, blaming Furman for allowing costs to spiral out of control. Furman then formed an LLC to make the film with a new crew and money from his family. The film was completed but has yet to find distribution. Some of the original “People Not Places” crew faulted Furman for yelling at people, coming in late and causing chaos on set.

Through his attorney, Marty Singer, Furman denies those allegations. Though Katz is the only one liable for the unpaid wages, Singer says Furman made a deal with the unions to help pay members who worked on the original production.

“My client has not only lived up to his obligations — he has gone above and beyond to take care of obligations of Mr. Katz’s production company as requested by the unions,” Singer tells Variety.

According to a report from the DOL, Katz admitted to an investigator that he was using the unpaid wages as leverage in his dispute with the director over ownership of the film. The investigator informed him that was illegal under New Jersey law. He did not seem to care. Efforts to reach a negotiated resolution have stalled.

“I made a deal to pay people — but they didn’t accept the deal,” Katz tells Variety. “So I said sue me.”

According to the DOL, 38 people are owed money. The investigation found that Katz’s refusal to pay was “willful,” resulting in a 200% penalty on top of the unpaid wages. A judgment was entered in New Jersey state court in May.

“We went through the process. He lost,” says Andy Zolot, who was a producer on the film. “This is not some borderline case. It’s super clear.”

The Directors Guild of America says it is still on the case. “We continue to pursue payment for our
members,” a union spokesperson says.

“We’re caught in a system that isn’t working,” says Robyn Davis, another producer. “It’s going to start happening to more and more projects.”