In May of this year, President Donald Trump announced on Truth Social a proposed 100% tariff on movies produced outside of the United States. In his initial message Trump says he authorized the Department of Commerce and the United States Trade Representative to put the tariff in motion. He reiterated the threat in September.
As Coronado celebrates the 10th anniversary of the Coronado Island Film Festival (CIFF), some American film industry stakeholders are weighing in on the purported tariff.
“I don’t think it’s going to work on any level,” says American Lisa Bruce, producer of films such as “Darkest Hour,” “No Strings Attached” and “The Theory of Everything.” “Other countries are making films in spite of that; they are actually planning for it. In a way, the threat of tariffs is making U.S. filmmakers and U.S. creatives less powerful as we become a less vital part of the world conversation.”
“The Movie Industry in America is DYING a very fast death,” Trump said in the message. He cited incentives offered by other countries to produce movies as a “National Security threat.” Trump has not yet explained how other countries have “stolen” the industry, or how international movies pose a “National Security threat.”
Arguments in favor of tariffing the industry focus mainly on bringing film industry jobs back to America. According to the World Intellectual Property Organization, America has slipped to fourth place in top film producing countries by number of films produced in 2023. America held second place in 2022. Trump has not clarified how the tariff would achieve this.
“It is, in addition to everything else, messaging and propaganda!” added Trump. However, so far there has been no further action and the Trump Administration has made no further comments on the reasoning of this tariff.
Daniel Salcido, co-director, producer and editor of “Is It True?”, an American film which will play at the festival on Nov. 6, remembers seeing the initial message online.
“[I thought], ‘What am I getting myself into? I just finished my degree, and if I do want to pursue this career in film is it going to cost even more money out of my pocket?’” says Salcido, “How hard is it going to be to make a movie when I need to outsource things that aren’t in the country?”
The industry’s concerns also extend to limiting cultural expansion by making films less accessible.
“What’s going on in politics is really out of our control, but one thing that has been in our control is telling stories, especially through film,” says Hayden Goldman, co-director, writer and lead actress in “Is it True?”
“There are so many countries and places we depend on to create these stories,” adds Goldman, who is American.
“As a film festival, we don’t want to limit story telling… We look at art as a global family,” says Nick Curtain, director of membership and donor relations at CIFF.
