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Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
After Trump vows tariffs on foreign movies, the Canadian film industry says he's lost the plot
U.S. President Donald Trump says he wants to impose a 100 per cent tariff on movies produced outside the country, a move that could devastate the Canadian film landscape — but experts are scratching their heads over how such a tax would work, given how intertwined the global film industry is. Trump, in a Truth Social post on Sunday night, said he directed the Department of Commerce and the U.S. Trade Representative to "immediately begin the process" of imposing the tariff. He hasn't signed an executive order, and the White House said on Monday that no final decisions had been made. Other countries "are offering all sorts of incentives to draw out filmmakers and studios away from the United States," Trump wrote. "Hollywood, and many other areas within the U.S.A., are being devastated," he went on, framing it as a matter of national security. Asked if he'd float the issue during his meeting with Prime Minister Mark Carney on Tuesday, Trump responded that Canada is "only one of many countries" that uses tax incentives to lure U.S. film offered few details on what this latest plank in his tariff regime would entail, or how it would be executed — including whether it would impact co-productions, or films made entirely abroad and exhibited in the U.S., not to mention those that appear on streaming services and at film festivals. Greg Denny, a Canadian film producer whose most recent credits include The Apprentice, a biopic about Trump that was partially shot in Toronto, says movies are rarely the product of a single country."We're not creating a good here. We're creating a movie. How do you put a tariff on top of that?" he asked. "This is many countries working together at all times, creating footage and content... It's not really something I see you can put a tariff on." The announcement also drew swift rebukes from the Canadian Media Producers Association (CMPA) and the Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists (ACTRA), the actors' union. B.C. Premier David Eby called the proposal "incredibly hard to understand," while Ontario's Doug Ford lamented that it's "something new with [Trump]" every day. Why Hollywood goes north Like other parts of its economy, Canada's film industry is deeply intertwined with that of its southern neighbour. Oscar-winners like Titanic, The Revenant and Juno were all filmed at least partly on Canadian soil; and Hollywood filmmakers from Guillermo Del Toro to Christopher Nolan have shot multiple movies here. That means Canada is also vulnerable to crises that originate in Hollywood, like the 2023 Writers Guild of America and SAG-AFTRA strikes, which further wounded an industry still recovering from pandemic-related shutdowns. Canada is highly appealing to U.S. film producers, according to experts. The filmmaking workforce is highly skilled, but costs less to pay, and Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Calgary and Halifax are frequently used as stand-ins for other cities in the U.S., Europe and Asia. U.S. film production creates 30,000 jobs and has a $2.6 billion economic impact in Toronto alone, according to Mayor Olivia Chow. Most importantly, the federal government offers a 16 per cent refundable tax credit, which is used to attract foreign productions from Hollywood and elsewhere to Canada. Provinces also have their own tax incentives, some of which — like Ontario's — can be harmonized with the federal credit. B.C., meanwhile, announced just a few months ago that it would up its production tax incentives, and give a 2 per cent bonus to productions that spend big in the province. CBC News reached out to several major U.S. studios for their reaction, but none have responded. Trump said on Monday that he'd meet with the industry to discuss the proposal. "I'm not looking to hurt the industry. I want to help," he said. "I want to make sure they're happy with it because we're all about jobs." 'The consumer still wants to consume' Charlie Keil, professor at the University of Toronto's Cinema Studies Institute, says a U.S. film industry exodus from Canada would have a "devastating impact" on the domestic sector. But it's hard to know how a tariff like the one Trump is proposing would be imposed, and to which movies it would apply. "There's a whole spectrum here, between films that are primarily made in the U.S. but might have some post-production work done in another country, to films that are entirely made by another country," he said. There's also the question of who would absorb the cost of the tariff. After years of price hikes and hidden junk fees, a more expensive movie ticket likely wouldn't fly with audiences, says Keil. That would mean theatre owners would eat the cost themselves or split it with a distributor, which would make production itself more expensive. Retaliatory tariffs would further complicate things, given that the global box office is deeply important to the success of a blockbuster, Keil notes. And what about U.S. streaming services? Netflix, for example, has seen success with foreign-made content — being the primary distributor for Oscar fare like Spain's Society of the Snow and South Korea's Okja. Noah Segal, the co-president of the Toronto-based film distributor Elevation Pictures, says major streamers are unlikely to get on board with Trump's proposal. "I think that they want to get localized content going because they know there's certain [niches] that they can't get through American content," he said. However, if a U.S. tariff is imposed globally on other filmmaking countries, Segal argues that it could be a boon for Canada's domestic industry. "If there's less content, the consumer still wants to consume as much as the consumer wants to consume. So therefore, it may be a great opportunity for Canadian content, Canadian culture and Canadian industry," he said. Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
A Trump film tariff would send Canadian screen industry into 'chaos,' say local producers
When Daniel Bekerman set out to produce "The Apprentice" — last year's biopic about U.S. President Donald Trump — he figured some controversy might come from the subject, not the city it was filmed in. But the Toronto-shot film is now an example of the kind of international production that would be hit hardest by Trump's proposed full-scale tariff on foreign-made movies. In a social media post Sunday, Trump said he's authorized trade officials to impose a "100 per cent tariff" on all films produced outside of the United States, claiming the American movie industry is dying a "very fast death" due to the incentives other countries are offering to lure filmmakers. Many Hollywood projects are shot in Canada, where foreign-funded movies and TV shows make up about half of all output. The Canadian Media Producers Association pegs the value of foreign productions last year at $4.73 billion, creating more than 90,000 jobs. Bekerman is among several insiders who say Trump's proposed tariff on foreign-made films could send Canada's screen industry into "chaos," though most believe the plan is unlikely to ever be implemented. "The worst version of this could change the shape of the industry and my livelihood," says the Toronto-based producer and founder of Scythia Films. Still, Bekerman notes Trump has retracted several other tariff threats in recent months. "I think he's proving himself to be someone who you can't necessarily rely on what he says to be followed through on. With that level of unpredictability, the only really rational course is to hold steady, solidify all your partnerships and make sure that you're making good product that people want." Meanwhile, Noah Segal, the co-president of Canadian film distributor Elevation Pictures, says he's both 'concerned and dumbfounded' by Trump's announcement, adding he can't see any practical way the tariff could be applied. "It's getting harder and harder to make films and shows, and make them make sense so that you can release it and make money," says Segal, adding that the local industry has faced several hurdles lately, from the pandemic to the Hollywood strikes. "So I would suspect if something like this (tariff) comes along, there'd be a lessening of production and there would be a slowdown, which is never good for anybody." Segal says Trump's tariff threat underlines the importance of Bill C-11, which requires foreign streaming platforms to allocate five per cent of their Canadian revenues to a fund dedicated to supporting Canadian content. Later this month, the CRTC will hold a public hearing to help define what "Canadian content" means.
CBC
06-05-2025
- Business
- CBC
After Trump vows tariffs on foreign movies, the Canadian film industry says he's lost the plot
Trump threatens Canadian film industry with 100% foreign movie tariffs 6 hours ago Duration 1:48 Social Sharing U.S. President Donald Trump says he wants to impose a 100 per cent tariff on movies produced outside the country, a move that could devastate the Canadian film landscape — but experts are scratching their heads over how such a tax would work, given how intertwined the global film industry is. Trump, in a Truth Social post on Sunday night, said he directed the Department of Commerce and the U.S. Trade Representative to "immediately begin the process" of imposing the tariff. He hasn't signed an executive order, and the White House said on Monday that no final decisions had been made. Other countries "are offering all sorts of incentives to draw out filmmakers and studios away from the United States," Trump wrote. "Hollywood, and many other areas within the U.S.A., are being devastated," he went on, framing it as a matter of national security. Asked if he'd float the issue during his meeting with Prime Minister Mark Carney on Tuesday, Trump responded that Canada is "only one of many countries" that uses tax incentives to lure U.S. film productions. WATCH | 'We will stand with our film industry,' says B.C. premier: B.C. Premier speaks on Trump's threatened tariff on movies made outside U.S. 14 hours ago Duration 10:08 The BC Government is warning about more possible chaos as a result of comments from US president Donald Trump. Trump has said he's interested in Canada becoming the 51st state, and recently talked tariffs being levied on films made outside the US. Premier David Eby says the comments are a red flag. He offered few details on what this latest plank in his tariff regime would entail, or how it would be executed — including whether it would impact co-productions, or films made entirely abroad and exhibited in the U.S., not to mention those that appear on streaming services and at film festivals. Greg Denny, a Canadian film producer whose most recent credits include The Apprentice, a biopic about Trump that was partially shot in Toronto, says movies are rarely the product of a single country. WATCH | Trump 'just unbelievable,' Ford says: Ford responds to Trump's tariff threats on non-U.S. movies 13 hours ago Duration 0:25 Ontario Premier Doug Ford is calling out U.S. President Donald Trump after he ordered new tariffs on movies made outside the United States. Speaking to reporters on Monday, Ford said Trump is going after the entire world and called the president 'unbelievable.' "We're not creating a good here. We're creating a movie. How do you put a tariff on top of that?" he asked. "This is many countries working together at all times, creating footage and content... It's not really something I see you can put a tariff on." The announcement also drew swift rebukes from the Canadian Media Producers Association (CMPA) and the Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists (ACTRA), the actors' union. B.C. Premier David Eby called the proposal "incredibly hard to understand," while Ontario's Doug Ford lamented that it's "something new with [Trump]" every day. Why Hollywood goes north Like other parts of its economy, Canada's film industry is deeply intertwined with that of its southern neighbour. Oscar-winners like Titanic, The Revenant and Juno were all filmed at least partly on Canadian soil; and Hollywood filmmakers from Guillermo Del Toro to Christopher Nolan have shot multiple movies here. That means Canada is also vulnerable to crises that originate in Hollywood, like the 2023 Writers Guild of America and SAG-AFTRA strikes, which further wounded an industry still recovering from pandemic-related shutdowns. Canada is highly appealing to U.S. film producers, according to experts. The filmmaking workforce is highly skilled, but costs less to pay, and Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Calgary and Halifax are frequently used as stand-ins for other cities in the U.S., Europe and Asia. U.S. film production creates 30,000 jobs and has a $2.6 billion economic impact in Toronto alone, according to Mayor Olivia Chow. Most importantly, the federal government offers a 16 per cent refundable tax credit, which is used to attract foreign productions from Hollywood and elsewhere to Canada. Provinces also have their own tax incentives, some of which — like Ontario's — can be harmonized with the federal credit. B.C., meanwhile, announced just a few months ago that it would up its production tax incentives, and give a $2 billion bonus to productions that spend big in the province. CBC News reached out to several major U.S. studios for their reaction, but none have responded. Trump said on Monday that he'd meet with the industry to discuss the proposal. "I'm not looking to hurt the industry. I want to help," he said. "I want to make sure they're happy with it because we're all about jobs." 'The consumer still wants to consume' Charlie Keil, professor at the University of Toronto's Cinema Studies Institute, says a U.S. film industry exodus from Canada would have a "devastating impact" on the domestic sector. But it's hard to know how a tariff like the one Trump is proposing would be imposed, and to which movies it would apply. "There's a whole spectrum here, between films that are primarily made in the U.S. but might have some post-production work done in another country, to films that are entirely made by another country," he said. There's also the question of who would absorb the cost of the tariff. After years of price hikes and hidden junk fees, a more expensive movie ticket likely wouldn't fly with audiences, says Keil. That would mean theatre owners would eat the cost themselves or split it with a distributor, which would make production itself more expensive. Retaliatory tariffs would further complicate things, given that the global box office is deeply important to the success of a blockbuster, Keil notes. And what about U.S. streaming services? Netflix, for example, has seen success with foreign-made content — being the primary distributor for Oscar fare like Spain's Society of the Snow and South Korea's Okja. Noah Segal, the co-president of the Toronto-based film distributor Elevation Pictures, says major streamers are unlikely to get on board with Trump's proposal. "I think that they want to get localized content going because they know there's certain [niches] that they can't get through American content," he said. However, if a U.S. tariff is imposed globally on other filmmaking countries, Segal argues that it could be a boon for Canada's domestic industry. "If there's less content, the consumer still wants to consume as much as the consumer wants to consume. So therefore, it may be a great opportunity for Canadian content, Canadian culture and Canadian industry," he said.
South China Morning Post
06-05-2025
- Entertainment
- South China Morning Post
‘Nonsensical' Trump foreign-film tariffs shock Hollywood, countries where US makes movies
Hollywood reacted with scepticism to US President Donald Trump's announcement of 100 per cent tariffs on foreign films, with movie insiders calling it a policy made up on the fly by a president who fails to understand how the industry works. Advertisement 'It makes no sense,' entertainment lawyer Jonathan Handel said of Trump's idea. Meanwhile, a British agent, speaking on condition of anonymity, told the specialist website Screen Daily: 'It sounds potentially disastrous for the international film industry.' And the Canadian Media Producers Association said: 'The proposed actions outlined in US President Donald Trump's announcement will cause significant disruption and economic hardship to the media production sectors on both sides of the Canada-US border.' Hollywood films and major US television productions are regularly filmed in Canada. Handel explained that many US productions, from James Bond films to the 'Mission Impossible' franchise, are filmed abroad for obvious creative reasons. Advertisement 'If the stunt is Tom Cruise climbing up the Eiffel Tower, what are we supposed to do, shoot at the replica Eiffel Tower in Las Vegas?' Handel said. 'I mean, it's just nonsensical.'
Winnipeg Free Press
05-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Winnipeg Free Press
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. Every Second Friday The latest on food and drink in Winnipeg and beyond from arts writers Ben Sigurdson and Eva Wasney. 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 WasneyReporter 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. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
