A 100% tariff on foreign-made films? That’s not policy — it’s nonsense.
Film isn’t steel or soybeans. It’s a global art form — one built on international crews, cross-border financing, and cultural exchange. Trying to wall that off doesn’t protect creativity; it cripples it.
I’m curious how others here see it — especially those who’ve worked on co-productions or internationally financed projects.
Would something like this even be enforceable? Or would it just make independent filmmaking more difficult than it already is?
I shared some thoughts about this elsewhere, but I’d love to hear your real-world experiences and perspectives.
— Michael Gordon Bennett - Capital Meets Story
I don’t think President Trump has the legal authority to put tariffs on foreign films, Michael Bennett. I think it'd make filmmaking a lot harder, especially independent filmmaking.
Here's another Lounge post about it: www.stage32.com/lounge/producing/Trump-Announces-100-Tariffs-on-foreign-...
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This is a nice threat to make to those frightened of the US outside the country, where freedom of speech is not really a thing and governments get to tell you what media you are allowed to be exposed to. And it's having the intended affect of fear on those people (as I speak to colleagues in Canada, UK, EU daily) who are suddenly thinking of how they can kowtow to the US appropriately. Aside from that, it's an unconstitutional, unenforceable and undemocratic idea.