That's just that with international film tariffs last week.

Since Donald Trump announced a May 4 Caps-Lock post to impose a 100% tax on "Made in Foreign" movies, it's something the film industry can talk about. The (unprecedented) idea of ​​the film tariff system threatens destruction, perhaps undermining the system of global financing, making and distributing films.

Trump's tariffs may still be on the table - it's hard to know with the easily distracted POTUS - but within the industry, discussions have continued.

In a letter to the president on Monday, May 12, Jon Voight and Sylvester Stallone, two of Trump’s “special ambassadors” for the entertainment industry, as well as lengthy industry players, including the Film Association, producer groups and the top industry workforce guild, called on Washington to solicit Washington to expand tax restrictions on taxes and television to help bring film and television production back to the United States.

The letter asked Trump to support three tax rules: Two would allow for greater and better deductions to production expenses, which would restore a COVID-era code that would allow businesses to spread net business losses within five years, especially in hit-Ore-Flop industries such as the movie business, as it would allow producers to use profitable years to offset future losses.

The letter did not mention the tariffs.

On Tuesday, another plan emerged, courtesy of well-known independent film producer Andrea Iervolino (modì,,,,, Crazy Wings for Three Days). Iervolino announced a proposal that he claimed was approved by another Trump special ambassador Mel Gibson, the United States-Italy joint production treaty. The details of the proposed agreement are still sketchy, but, according to Iervolino, it will create a legislative structure to inspire Italian producers to “make Italian films in the United States, involving American stars, thereby investing in the United States while shooting the same shot for American producers.

Iervolino's promotion is that the United States-Italy deal can be used as a pilot project for the United States joint production of treaties. He claims that the global adoption of the model could generate up to $10 billion in revenue each year “investment in the U.S.” without citing this impressive estimate. Gibson was unable to comment immediately. It is reported that A murder weapon The actor will start filming his The Passion of Christ sequel The Resurrection of Christ This summer in Italy.

It should be noted that the United States has not signed any international film or television joint production agreements.

It is unclear whether the Voight tax model or Italo-American treaty proposal will see the light of the day and can even last until the end of the week. But they show that debate has changed, from Trump's approach to large-scale attitudes, taxation punishes works that should be outside the United States - works (e.g. Task: Impossible - The final estimateit premiered at the Cannes Film Festival today, and its financing plans include delicious tax breaks for locations around the world in Norway, South Africa and the UK.

The film industry outside the United States welcomes the shift. Producers from Sydney to Vancouver see any kind of tariffs as a bad idea and are already fighting against it.

On May 12, a group of more than 100 film and television bodies from around the world signed an open letter to the government to “maintain the system that supports independent film and audience creation”, including the European Film Academy, Australian screen producers and France’s Société des Auteurs et auteurs et Commositeurs Dramatiques, a group of more than 100 film and television bodies from around the world.

"If (the tariffs) are to be passed, it could ruin our film industry," said Stuart Nash, a former New Zealand Minister of Economic Development, who managed $650 million in film subsidies for the country's tax incentive scheme, helping bring in works like James Cameron's. avatar Sequel and Jane Campion’s Oscar The power of a dog under.

Philippa Childs, head of the British media and entertainment union, pointed out: “After Covid and the recent slowdown in production, tariffs could bring a knockout blow to an industry that has just recovered.”

On the other hand, the tax incentives and joint production agreement are Linga Franca of the international film business. Shifting the great debate in Hollywood to Trump’s desire to punish the films made outside the United States, and towards a new system that can inspire movies, the United States or international investments, has made players worldwide feel like they are on a safer stand.

“I do think the co-production treaty with the United States is a huge benefit to the Canadian industry,” said Nicholas Tabarrok of Darius Films, who has offices in Los Angeles and Toronto. "Imagine if we could work with American writers, directors and actors, it would open up with incredible talents? No doubt this would lead to higher box office and sales of Canadian films."

John Morayniss, co-founder and CEO of Blink49 Studios, based in Los Angeles, says co-production treatments, originally aimed at helping producers from smaller countries collaborate to better compete against better-funded American imports, could appeal to a US entertainment industry that sees a similar outside threat: High-end movie tentpoles that shot overseas, taking American production jobs with them and leaving behind empty soundstages.

"So if the U.S. is doing it right now, we're also trying to protect ourselves from the influx of non-U.S. entertainment exports, maybe Canada can say we can help you," Morinis said of Canadian producers.

Many international producers believe that if the United States does not try to punish foreign governments, it is what a producer calls “using their taxpayer’s funds to fund American movies” rather than trying to punish foreign governments, but choosing to copy the best international tax incentive model from overseas.

“The easiest, least confrontational path will be (introduced into the United States) federal incentive programs,” said Nicholas Simon of Indochina Productions, a leading production service company in Southeast Asia, whose credit includes HBO's White lotus. "The two countries to learn are Australia and the United Kingdom. Have both."

Noah Segal, co-founder and co-president of Canadian independent distribution giant Elevation Pictures, told THR debates need to shift from the plight that blames Hollywood to out-of-control production. Segal believes that digital technology, movie tax credits and other internationally available soft goods provide financial and creative impetus for Hollywood producers to take on filming projects further afield.

“Technology allows us to shoot around the world, thus capturing the areas we use to capture in our studios (stage) in Los Angeles, which looks very weird and cheesy,” he said.

Nash agreed to be able to shoot globally to take advantage of landscapes and talents that are not available to Studio City and North Hollywood.

“We have some competitive advantages that you can’t replicate through the audio track,” he said. “Our scenery is grand…We have experienced crew and facilities like Weta Workshop, which has a world-class reputation. Lord of the Rings and Hobbit It's almost impossible to do it anywhere else. ”

Segal's debate shift has comforted Segal, from the topic of foreign film tariffs and the U.S. federal tax credits in the U.S. (under the VOIGT program) and discussions on co-production treaties between the U.S. and similar countries. He believes that even Trump can lag behind such an all-carol, sticky model to help the U.S. entertainment industry rebound.

He added: "They proposed a way to inspire people to bring co-production to the United States. It's repatriation, not all the business and show lifts, so he (Trump) looks like a hero and keeps some work."

Therefore, the benefits are obvious if Americans are ready to share IP ownership through international co-production, as well as the risks and rewards of projects that are international co-production.

"If they go this road, they have to understand that it's not a one-way street, it's a two-way street," he said.

For Daniel Bekerman, co-producer of Donald Trump movies apprentice - It is an international joint production between Canada, Denmark, and Ireland itself - bringing American producers into an official cross-border joint production partnership, which will be a win-win situation for global industries including Hollywood.

He believes that as a zero-sum game, he did not put together some production and some work back to the United States.

"Even if I work in Canada, I still work with many Americans. I want to see my American friends do a great job. I want to see the American workforce stable and thriving," Bekerman said.