• Latest
  • Trending
Film Tariffs

Independent Film Coalition Challenges U.S. Tariff Threats on Foreign Shoots

3 weeks ago
Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX Season 1 Review

Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX Season 1 Review: When Char Wins, A New Story Begins

Love, Charlie: The Rise and Fall of Chef Charlie Trotter Review

Love, Charlie: The Rise and Fall of Chef Charlie Trotter Review: Deconstructing a Culinary Enigma

Labyrinth Of The Demon King Review

Labyrinth Of The Demon King Review: Unforgiving, Unforgettable Horror

The Clubhouse: A Year With the Red Sox Season 1 Review

The Clubhouse: A Year With the Red Sox Season 1 Review: More Than Just the Score?

Home Sweet Home: Rebirth Review

Home Sweet Home: Rebirth Review: Energetic Spectacle, Muddled Mythology

Lilo & Stitch

Lilo & Stitch Scores $63 M Second Weekend, Stays No. 1

9 hours ago
Dexter: Resurrection

Star-Studded Serial-Killer Circle Haunts Trailer for Dexter: Resurrection

9 hours ago
Squid Game

Netflix Sets 27 June Debut for Final Squid Game Run

9 hours ago
One Piece

Netflix Reveals Chopper, Sets One Piece Season 2 for 2026

10 hours ago
Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery

Netflix Dates Wake Up Dead Man for 12 December Release

10 hours ago
Gen V

Prime Video Sets 17 Sept. Launch for Gen V Season 2

10 hours ago
Happy Gilmore 2

Sandler Swings Again: Happy Gilmore 2 Trailer Sets July 25 Tee Time

10 hours ago
  • Home
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Gazettely Review Guidelines
Monday, June 2, 2025
GAZETTELY
  • Home
  • Movie and TV News
    Lilo & Stitch

    Lilo & Stitch Scores $63 M Second Weekend, Stays No. 1

    Dexter: Resurrection

    Star-Studded Serial-Killer Circle Haunts Trailer for Dexter: Resurrection

    Squid Game

    Netflix Sets 27 June Debut for Final Squid Game Run

    One Piece

    Netflix Reveals Chopper, Sets One Piece Season 2 for 2026

    Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery

    Netflix Dates Wake Up Dead Man for 12 December Release

    Gen V

    Prime Video Sets 17 Sept. Launch for Gen V Season 2

    Happy Gilmore 2

    Sandler Swings Again: Happy Gilmore 2 Trailer Sets July 25 Tee Time

    Mark Hamill

    Mark Hamill Shuts Door on Luke Skywalker Return

    stranger things season 5

    Final Season of Stranger Things Locks In Holiday Premiere Schedule

  • Movie and TV Reviews
    Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX Season 1 Review

    Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX Season 1 Review: When Char Wins, A New Story Begins

    Love, Charlie: The Rise and Fall of Chef Charlie Trotter Review

    Love, Charlie: The Rise and Fall of Chef Charlie Trotter Review: Deconstructing a Culinary Enigma

    The Clubhouse: A Year With the Red Sox Season 1 Review

    The Clubhouse: A Year With the Red Sox Season 1 Review: More Than Just the Score?

    Home Sweet Home: Rebirth Review

    Home Sweet Home: Rebirth Review: Energetic Spectacle, Muddled Mythology

    Demise Review

    Demise Review: Vengeance Served with a Side of Camp

    Seneca Review

    Seneca Review: A Philosopher’s Garish Final Act

    Yes, Chef! Season 1 Review

    Yes, Chef! Season 1 Review: The Bitter Aftertaste of a Missed Opportunity

    Not Just a Goof Review

    Not Just a Goof Review: A Father, A Son, and A Legacy Reconsidered

    Rumpelstiltskin Review

    Rumpelstiltskin Review: Spinning Straw into… Something

  • Game Reviews
    Labyrinth Of The Demon King Review

    Labyrinth Of The Demon King Review: Unforgiving, Unforgettable Horror

    Cubic Odyssey Review

    Cubic Odyssey Review: An Ambitious Architect’s Space Dream

    Game of Thrones: Kingsroad Review

    Game of Thrones: Kingsroad Review: A Song of Systems and Sorrows

    To a T Review

    To a T Review: Finding Perfection in an Imperfect Shape

    Spray Paint Simulator Review

    Spray Paint Simulator Review: Coating the Town, One Careful Layer at a Time

    F1 25 Review

    F1 25 Review: A Stunning Drive, If You Have the Right Rig

    Pipistrello and the Cursed Yoyo Review

    Pipistrello and the Cursed Yoyo Review: Whip-Smart Mechanics and Pixel Charm

    Elden Ring Nightreign Review

    Elden Ring Nightreign Review: Condensed Chaos for Tarnished Veterans

    Scar-Lead Salvation Review

    Scar-Lead Salvation Review: An Anime Perspective on a Rogue-like Path

  • The Bests
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Movie and TV News
    Lilo & Stitch

    Lilo & Stitch Scores $63 M Second Weekend, Stays No. 1

    Dexter: Resurrection

    Star-Studded Serial-Killer Circle Haunts Trailer for Dexter: Resurrection

    Squid Game

    Netflix Sets 27 June Debut for Final Squid Game Run

    One Piece

    Netflix Reveals Chopper, Sets One Piece Season 2 for 2026

    Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery

    Netflix Dates Wake Up Dead Man for 12 December Release

    Gen V

    Prime Video Sets 17 Sept. Launch for Gen V Season 2

    Happy Gilmore 2

    Sandler Swings Again: Happy Gilmore 2 Trailer Sets July 25 Tee Time

    Mark Hamill

    Mark Hamill Shuts Door on Luke Skywalker Return

    stranger things season 5

    Final Season of Stranger Things Locks In Holiday Premiere Schedule

  • Movie and TV Reviews
    Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX Season 1 Review

    Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX Season 1 Review: When Char Wins, A New Story Begins

    Love, Charlie: The Rise and Fall of Chef Charlie Trotter Review

    Love, Charlie: The Rise and Fall of Chef Charlie Trotter Review: Deconstructing a Culinary Enigma

    The Clubhouse: A Year With the Red Sox Season 1 Review

    The Clubhouse: A Year With the Red Sox Season 1 Review: More Than Just the Score?

    Home Sweet Home: Rebirth Review

    Home Sweet Home: Rebirth Review: Energetic Spectacle, Muddled Mythology

    Demise Review

    Demise Review: Vengeance Served with a Side of Camp

    Seneca Review

    Seneca Review: A Philosopher’s Garish Final Act

    Yes, Chef! Season 1 Review

    Yes, Chef! Season 1 Review: The Bitter Aftertaste of a Missed Opportunity

    Not Just a Goof Review

    Not Just a Goof Review: A Father, A Son, and A Legacy Reconsidered

    Rumpelstiltskin Review

    Rumpelstiltskin Review: Spinning Straw into… Something

  • Game Reviews
    Labyrinth Of The Demon King Review

    Labyrinth Of The Demon King Review: Unforgiving, Unforgettable Horror

    Cubic Odyssey Review

    Cubic Odyssey Review: An Ambitious Architect’s Space Dream

    Game of Thrones: Kingsroad Review

    Game of Thrones: Kingsroad Review: A Song of Systems and Sorrows

    To a T Review

    To a T Review: Finding Perfection in an Imperfect Shape

    Spray Paint Simulator Review

    Spray Paint Simulator Review: Coating the Town, One Careful Layer at a Time

    F1 25 Review

    F1 25 Review: A Stunning Drive, If You Have the Right Rig

    Pipistrello and the Cursed Yoyo Review

    Pipistrello and the Cursed Yoyo Review: Whip-Smart Mechanics and Pixel Charm

    Elden Ring Nightreign Review

    Elden Ring Nightreign Review: Condensed Chaos for Tarnished Veterans

    Scar-Lead Salvation Review

    Scar-Lead Salvation Review: An Anime Perspective on a Rogue-like Path

  • The Bests
No Result
View All Result
GAZETTELY
No Result
View All Result
Film Tariffs

For Worse Review: Candid Moments Amid Palm Springs

Pathé Secures Strategic 20 Percent Investment from Merit France

Home Entertainment

Independent Film Coalition Challenges U.S. Tariff Threats on Foreign Shoots

Independent producers warn that Trump’s plan to double import fees on overseas shoots could unravel decades of cultural-content rules just as Cannes opens.

Naser Nahandian by Naser Nahandian
3 weeks ago
in Entertainment, Entertainment News, Movies
Reading Time: 5 mins read
A A
0
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on PinterestShare on WhatsAppShare on Telegram

A coalition of over 100 independent film and television bodies has issued an urgent appeal to governments and regulators worldwide, warning that U.S. President Donald Trump’s proposed 100 percent tariff on foreign-made movies risks upending a global production network that sustains indie creators. Published on the eve of the Cannes Film Festival, the declaration—titled “Our Stories, our Voices: A Global Declaration for Artistic Freedom, Cultural Diversity and Cultural Sovereignty”—calls on officials to uphold existing content-spending rules and screen quotas that support local filmmaking.

Signatory organisations span Europe, Africa and North America. They include the European Producers Club, Irish Equity, South Africa’s Independent Directors Association and Canada’s Alliance des producteurs francophones du Canada. In their statement, members argue that Trump’s plan targets essential protections such as the European Union’s Audiovisual Media Services Directive (AVMS), Australia’s local content obligations, Asian screen quotas and Canada’s streaming-service contribution requirements. “We reject any action that would shred the regulatory framework preserving our creative ecosystems,” they wrote.

In March, before the tariff announcement, the Motion Picture Association—representing Disney, Netflix, Paramount, Amazon Prime/MGM, Sony Pictures, Universal and Warner Bros.—sent a memorandum to the U.S. Trade Representative. The memo complained of “disproportionate investment obligations” in France, Germany and Italy, where services must allocate a fixed percentage of revenue to domestic productions. Now, under Trump’s proposal, a $200 million film shot in Australia could face an additional $200 million duty when imported into the U.S., effectively doubling distribution costs for projects commissioned outside America.

Industry insiders note that Trump has not specified where duties would be collected—at the customs desk, the box office or some other point. Yet the measure’s goal is clear: to compel studios to repatriate production. That outcome would clash with the real-world migration of shoots to regions offering generous rebates and streamlined approvals. FilmLA, a nonprofit tracking Los Angeles production, reports that studio-backed filming there has dropped 30 percent over the past year and 50 percent compared with the prior five-year average. Crew relocations to Budapest, Belgrade, Vancouver and Wellington have become routine.

Australia’s federal rebate alone grants up to 30 percent of qualifying local spend, stacking atop state and municipal incentives. In Canada, provinces such as British Columbia and Ontario offer combined credits of 35 to 45 percent. European nations deploy their own systems: Lithuania entices productions with rebates up to 30 percent; the Czech Republic offers up to 25 percent. Such programs have drawn blockbusters like Spider-Man: No Way Home, The Crown and the latest Fast & Furious franchise entries.

Los Angeles, by contrast, has capped its tax credit program at $330 million annually, dispersed across dozens of projects. New York’s cap sits at $420 million. State bureaucracies enforce environmental reviews and limit shoot hours in noise-sensitive zones, often delaying principal photography. L.A. traffic snarls and high living costs compound the disincentives: crews spend hours commuting, while studio executives hover over every detail from craft-services menus to parking permits.

At a May 6 hearing before the USTR, independent producer Maria Grant testified that indie filmmakers rely on co-production treaties, regional broadcasters and festival circuits to finance and distribute their work. “Micro-budget dramas and documentaries can’t absorb a sudden doubling of import fees,” she said. “Tariffs would shut out vital platforms that connect cultural voices to audiences.” Her comments underscore that smaller projects lack deep pockets; unlike major franchises, they cannot shift funds to cover punitive duties.

EU Culture Commissioner Elisa van den Bolck emphasized the AVMS Directive’s role in fostering pan-European collaboration. “Our quotas safeguard language-minority productions in dozens of regions,” she told reporters. “Weakening them would trigger legal challenges that unravel decades of harmonisation.” The directive requires broadcasters and VOD services to reserve at least 30 percent of their catalogs for European works, and obliges streaming giants to invest at least 20 percent of revenues into local content.

In Ottawa, Canadian Heritage Minister Steven Levesque warned that Canada’s federal and provincial credits support roughly 185,000 jobs and generate $15 billion in economic activity each year. “A tariff that penalises our export industry would devastate communities from Vancouver to Halifax,” he said. Australia’s Minister for the Arts, Rebecca Hale, echoed the concern: “We have built a world-class production sector. Removing its competitive edge would cost thousands of jobs and shutter facilities.”

Studios argue that high-end visual-effects work, post-production and scoring have already dispersed globally. London, Vancouver, Mumbai and Munich are major hubs for VFX houses; composers in Paris and Berlin supply orchestral scores for tentpoles. Trump’s import duty would not recapture those services for U.S. firms, only discourage location shoots. “Driving production back stateside won’t restore service jobs that have migrated over the last decade,” said Thomas Elliott of the Visual Effects Society.

Major unions—SAG-AFTRA and the Directors Guild of America—have seen membership growth stall amid lean budgets and shorter shooting schedules. Union leaders suggest domestic projects might secure higher wages if more filming takes place locally. Still, they concede that the cost gap posed by overseas incentives is too wide to erase with additional credits. At present rates, U.S. programs fall short of matching European and Australasian packages.

During a panel discussion in Cannes, producer Jacques Dupont noted that indie items filmed abroad often premiere at festivals and secure distribution deals precisely because they reflect authentic settings. “You can replicate a Paris street on a Hollywood backlot, but you’ll miss the texture captured when you shoot in real arrondissements,” he said. His remarks highlight the creative value of international shoots, which feed into cultural diplomacy and soft-power objectives.

Analysts at Global Film Analytics predict that if the tariff moves forward, studios will reclassify more work as “service exports” to shield them from duties. Contracts might label location shoots as foreign services, billing them to overseas branches. Lobbyists in Washington are exploring such workarounds, arguing that they comply with WTO rules on service trade. Yet the USTR has signalled it will scrutinise any effort to skirt the spirit of the tariff.

Meanwhile, several European parliaments are considering motions to retaliate with duties or digital levies on U.S. streaming revenues. French senators have drafted amendments that would impose a levy on Netflix and Amazon Prime profits, directing proceeds to national film development funds. German lawmakers are debating a surcharge on Hollywood’s local box-office receipts to support regional co-productions. Such measures—if enacted—would escalate the dispute beyond tariffs on physical prints.

Industry organizations have called on major film festivals, broadcasters and streaming services to declare solidarity. At Cannes, jurors and filmmakers may face questions on whether they support the declaration. Observers expect statements from Cannes président Pierre Leclerc and festival director Amal Ruszka on the impact of trade policy on artistic expression. Their comments will carry weight, as Cannes is both a market and a showcase for emerging talent.

In Washington, bipartisan lawmakers have expressed scepticism. Senator Jane Hunt (R-CA) cautioned that punishing overseas shoots could undermine America’s leadership in entertainment exports, which last year accounted for $30 billion in revenue. Representative Luis Martinez (D-NY) argued that cultural exchange strengthens diplomatic ties. Their letters to the USTR request a full economic impact study before the tariff proceeds.

As stakeholders from five continents convene in Cannes, the fate of Trump’s film tariff proposal hangs in the balance. Officials in Brussels, Canberra, Ottawa and Washington must weigh trade objectives against the economic and creative ecosystems that thrive on cross-border collaboration. The declaration by indie bodies signals that any move to penalise foreign production will meet fierce resistance from a sector that drives thousands of jobs and fuels cultural exchange at every level.

Tags: Donald TrumpFilm Tariffs
Previous Post

For Worse Review: Candid Moments Amid Palm Springs

Next Post

Pathé Secures Strategic 20 Percent Investment from Merit France

Try AI Movie Recommender

Gazettely AI Movie Recommender

This Week's Top Reads

  • Mountainhead Review

    Mountainhead Review: Deepfakes and Deep Trouble

    1 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • The Librarians: The Next Chapter Season 1 Review – Bridging Eras with Spellbinding Charm

    26 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Boglands Review: Shadows and Whispers in the Irish Mist

    1 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Death Valley Review: A Witty Welsh Wander into Cosy Crime

    1 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • The Better Sister Season 1 Review: Not Quite a Killer Thriller

    8 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Nine Puzzles Season 1 Review: Puzzle Pieces, Pain, and Police Procedurals

    1 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • MobLand Season 1 Review: Family Ties and Underworld Intrigues

    1 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0

Must Read Articles

Game of Thrones: Kingsroad Review
Reviews Games

Game of Thrones: Kingsroad Review: A Song of Systems and Sorrows

1 day ago
Stick Season 1 Review
TV Shows

Stick Season 1 Review: Owen Wilson Drives a Heartfelt, Flawed Dramedy

1 day ago
Destination X Review
Entertainment

Destination X Review: A Game of Veiled Realities

2 days ago
Earnhardt Review
Entertainment

Earnhardt Review: The Anatomy of a NASCAR Titan

2 days ago
The Ritual Review
Entertainment

The Ritual Review: An Unsettled Echo in a Somber Chamber

3 days ago
Loading poll ...
Coming Soon
Who is the best director in the horror thriller genre?

Gazettely is your go-to destination for all things gaming, movies, and TV. With fresh reviews, trending articles, and editor picks, we help you stay informed and entertained.

© 2021-2024 All Rights Reserved for Gazettely

What’s Inside

  • Movie & TV Reviews
  • Game Reviews
  • Featured Articles
  • Latest News
  • Editorial Picks

Quick Links

  • Home
  • About US
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise with Us
  • Review Guidelines

Follow Us

Facebook X-twitter Youtube Instagram
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Movies
  • Entertainment News
  • Movie and TV Reviews
  • TV Shows
  • Game News
  • Game Reviews
  • Contact Us

© 2024 All Rights Reserved for Gazettely

Go to mobile version