Our sexual harassment policy aims to protect persons in our organization from unwanted sexual advances and give them guidelines to report incidents. We will explain how we handle claims, punish sexual harassment and help victims recover.
We won’t tolerate sexual harassment in our festival spaces in any shape or form. Our culture is based on mutual respect and collaboration. Sexual harassment is a serious violation of those principles.
Scope
This policy applies to every person in our organization regardless of gender, sexual orientation, level, function, seniority, status or other protected characteristics. We are all obliged to comply with this policy.
Also, we won’t tolerate sexual harassment from inside or outside of the organization. Filmmakers, employees at venues, investors, contractors, customers, and everyone interacting with our festival and organization are covered by the present policy.
NOTE: At this time, FNFVF Inc has no paid employees as we are an entirely voluntary organization. Persons associated with FNFVF Inc are the Co-directors and FNFVF Board members and this policy also applies to these persons.
DEFINITIONS
Applicable to Staff, Board, Artists, Filmmakers
Sexual harassment refers to unwelcome and inappropriate behavior of a sexual nature that creates a hostile, intimidating, or offensive environment for the recipient. This behavior can take various forms and may include, but is not limited to:
Unwanted Advances: Unwelcome sexual advances, propositions, or requests for sexual favors.
Verbal Harassment: Inappropriate comments, jokes, or remarks of a sexual nature that make someone uncomfortable.
Non-Verbal Harassment: Lewd gestures, obscene jokes, or any other non-verbal conduct that is sexually offensive.
Visual Harassment: Displaying sexually suggestive material, such as explicit images, in the workplace or event setting outside of the scope the films screen as part of the program. FNFVF Inc will always use a content warning for films with graphic content.
Sexual Coercion: Using one's position of authority to force or pressure someone into engaging in unwanted sexual activities.
Invasion of Personal Space: Unwanted touching, hugging, or any physical contact of a sexual nature without consent.
VICTIM CENTERED APPROACH
A way of engaging with survivors or victims in which you do what you can to prioritize victims or survivors as long as it will not cause them harm. We centralize the victim’s or survivor’s choices, and any design or planning of any response also will prioritize and centralize current and future survivors. It is important to listen, avoid re-traumatization, and stay focused on their safety, their rights, confidentiality, their well-being, their expressed needs and choices.
REPORTING
How to report sexual harassment
If you are being sexually harassed (or suspect another person is being harassed), please report it to FNFVF Inc [Co-directors or FNFVF Board members]. In serious cases like sexual assault, please call the police and inform FNVF Inc that you plan to press charges. We acknowledge it’s often hard to come forward about these issues, but we need your help to build a fair and safe space for you and your colleagues.
If you want to report sexual harassment within our organization, there are two options:
● Ask for an urgent meeting with the Co-director/s. Once in the meeting, explain the situation in as much detail as possible. If you have any hard evidence (e.g. emails), forward it or bring it with you to the meeting.
● Send your complaint via email. If you address it to the Co-director/s attach any evidence or information that can be used in the investigation. FNFVF Inc and the Co-directors will discuss the issue and contact you as soon as possible.
If you report assault to the police, our company will provide any possible support until the matter is resolved. In any case, we will ensure you are not victimized and that you have access to relevant evidence admissible in court, like security video footage or emails (without revealing confidential information about other employees.)
Inadvertent harassment
Sometimes, people who harass others do not realize that their behavior is wrong. We understand this is possible, but that doesn’t make the perpetrator any less responsible for their actions.
If you suspect that someone doesn’t realize their behavior is sexual harassment under the definition of this policy, let them know and ask them to stop. Do so preferably via email so you can have records. Please do not use this approach when:
● A Staff member at a FNFVF venue is the perpetrator.
● Sexual harassment goes beyond the boundaries of off-hand comments, flirting or jokes.
● If you feel you have been threatened by a filmmaker, staff at a venue, or member of the organization.
In the above cases, report to FNFVF Co-director/s as soon as possible.
Disciplinary action and repeat offenders
Members of our organization who are found guilty of sexual assault, as well as, sexual harassment (but not assault) will be terminated after the first complaint and investigation.
FNFVF Inc will never again communicate or promote the works of offending filmmakers.
Unless the offender is removed from the space, we will no longer use the venue as a place to host FNFVF programs.
We may also take other appropriate action to protect their victims. We will terminate repeat offenders after the second claim against them if our investigation concludes they are indeed guilty.
We apply these disciplinary actions uniformly. Employees of any sexual orientation or other protected characteristics will be penalized the same way for the same offenses.
FNFVF Inc responsibilities
First and foremost, FNFVF Inc and its Co-directors should try to prevent sexual harassment by building a culture of respect and trust. But, when sexual harassment occurs and any patron/community member/filmmaker makes a complaint, both FNFVF Inc and its Co-directors must act immediately.
FNFVF Inc must explain our organization’s procedures to whom made the complaint.
When FNFVF Inc receives a complaint that any member harasses another member, they will:
● Ask for as many details and information as possible from the person or people making the complaint.
● Keep copies of the report with dates, times and details of incidents and any possible evidence in a confidential file (separate from the personnel file.) FNFVF Inc should update this file with all future actions and conversations regarding this complaint.
● Launch an investigation. If the matter is complex, FNFVF Inc can defer to an experienced outside investigator.
● Check if there have been similar reports on the same person. If there are, HR should contact the perpetrator’s manager to let them know that their team member may get fired when the investigation is over.
● Inform the harassed members of our organization’s procedures and their options to take legal action if appropriate.
● Take into account the wishes of the harassed person. Some might want the matter to be resolved informally and discreetly, while others might expect more radical actions. FNFVF Inc should consider the circumstances and decide on appropriate action.
● Contact the harasser to explain the complaint and explicitly ask for this behavior to stop, or,
● Arrange for mediation sessions with the two employees (harasser and perpetrator) to resolve the issue, if the harassed employee agrees or,
● Launch a disciplinary process depending on the severity of the harassment. In cases of sexual assault or coercing someone to sexual favors under threats, we will remove the harasser immediately. We will terminate employees who are found guilty in a court of law of sexually assaulting another employee, even if HR has not conducted its own investigation.
HR or managers must not, under any circumstances, blame the victim, conceal a report or discourage employees from reporting sexual harassment. If HR or a manager behaves that way, please send an email to their own manager or a senior HR leader explaining the situation.
We welcome any feedback or complaints about our procedures and how our employees handled each case.
CONFIDENTIALITY
As the request of the victims, FNFVF Inc will do as much to keep information private, including keeping the names of the victims in strictest confidentiality.
This will extend to the accused, UNLESS, there is the need to keep future spaces and programs safe from future potential incidents.
Sexual harassment can exhaust those who endure it. Speaking up about this issue is often tough for fear of not being heard and challenging community culture.
Please don’t let these fears deter you. Our organization will do everything possible to stop sexual harassment and any other kind of harassment from happening, while supporting harassed persons. We need to know what’s going on so we can act on it. And by raising your voice on this issue, you help our organization create a safe space for filmmakers, our audience, and our organization.
