What do Intimacy Coordinators do?

Intimacy Coordinators (IC) have an essential role to play in the film and television industry. ICs are production specialists who plan, supervise, and coordinate on-camera intimate scenes to ensure performers feel safe, protected, and comfortable.

Intimacy Coordinator Standards

ACTRA Montreal recommends that productions work with a qualified, certified, and experienced Intimacy Coordinator for scenes that include, but are not limited to, intimacy, love-making, non-consensual intimate scenes, nudity, semi-nude, and highly emotional content.

In order to ensure the health and safety of all, ACTRA Montreal deems that adequate qualifications must include the completion of a program that provides at least fifty (50) hours of training (instruction/classroom hours) for program participants and which covers the following subjects:

• Consent training
• Anti-harassment training
• Movement coaching and illusory techniques
• Proper use of modesty garments and barriers
• Mediation or conflict resolution training
• Gender identity & sexual orientation training
• Anti-racist/DEIB training
• Bystander intervention
• Mental health first aid, trauma stewardship, or related training
• Demonstrated ability to implement the role’s responsibilities, functions and protocols on a variety of sets – even under challenging circumstances and power dynamics
• Experience in collaborating and reporting to ACTRA on potential issues arising

In addition, ACTRA Montreal expects Intimacy Coordinators to be committed to the Industry Code of Conduct.

Finally, Intimacy Coordinators are encouraged to review ACTRA’s official Guide for Scenes Involving Nudity, Intimacy, Simulated Sex and Sexual Violence.

Intimacy Coordinators should not be working in another category on the same set at the same time and should not act as a casting agent, talent agent, or hold a position of power within the production.

Updated: October 4, 2023