Manitoba film industry eyes Trump tariff threat
Those in Manitoba's film industry are waiting to see what will come of U.S. President Donald Trump's recent declaration on foreign film productions.
On Sunday, Trump announced he had ordered a 100 per cent tariff on all movies produced outside the United States, claiming the tax would save America's 'dying' movie industry and that films made elsewhere presented a national security threat.
While it's unclear how or when the proposed tariff would be applied, ACTRA Manitoba president Alan Wong is concerned about the potential impact on jobs and content.
'There's so many productions shooting around the world and for good reason — what is Emily in Paris going to be if she's not in Paris? Emily in Paris, Idaho?' said Wong. 'It's so nearsighted and narrow-minded and it could really affect our industry a lot.'
In a statement released Monday, ACTRA's national board urged Prime Minister Mark Carney to protect the livelihoods of Canadian performers.
According to the Canadian Media Producers Association, the value of foreign productions totalled $4.73 billion last year and generated 90,000 jobs across the country.
ACTRA Manitoba represents nearly 900 performers working in cinema, television and radio. Local actors have benefited from the Manitoba movie boom over the last decade, spurred on by the province's 65 per cent tax credit for filmmakers on labour costs.
Recurring projects from U.S. companies Hallmark and Lifetime have been particularly fruitful, Wong said.
'It would be such a shame to see that go because we've worked for years to develop these relationships,' he said.
In 2024, Manitoba hosted 86 film and television productions — 36 per cent of which were national or international — representing nearly $435 million in production budgets, according to Manitoba Film and Music projections.
Jeremy Torrie of Manitoba-based White Bear Films wasn't feeling particularly worried about the president's latest trade war threat.
'It is ultimately a wait and see, but business is not stopping,' he said.
He is a producer on Silent Night, Deadly Night, a reboot of the 1984 American slasher flick currently being shot in Manitoba with production partners from south of the border.
The president's rhetoric wasn't going to get in the way of finishing the movie, Torrie said.
'There's so many productions shooting around the world and for good reason — what is Emily in Paris going to be if she's not in Paris? Emily in Paris, Idaho?'–Alan Wong
'Producers and projects that come to Manitoba, they do it because it makes the right financial sense to do so and we've got great crews and we've got great locations. They're going to continue to do that because the demand for entertainment is not going away.'
Other American projects shot locally recently include Nobody 2, starring Bob Odenkirk, and The Long Walk, an adaptation of Stephen King's novella of the same name.
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Manitoba Film and Music is monitoring the proposed tariff situation closely.
'We have a resilient local production industry, but we understand this issue creates uncertainty,' chief executive officer and film commissioner Lynne Skromeda said in a statement.
Premier Wab Kinew also expressed concern.
'This is a concern because our film and television industry is great for Manitoba's economy and it's great for (local) pride,' he told reporters Monday during a scrum in his office. 'We can drive around Winnipeg or Selkirk or other communities in Manitoba and see shows that are going to be on Netflix, that are going to be on Amazon, shot right here in our great province.' — with files from Carol Sanders
eva.wasney@winnipegfreepress.com
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Eva Wasney has been a reporter with the Free Press Arts & Life department since 2019. Read more about Eva.
Every piece of reporting Eva produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates.
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