In bid to lure production away from Canada, American president has called for further tax cuts for the U.S. film industry
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The B.C. film industry is in another wait-and-see scenario after U.S. President Donald Trump called on Congress to create federal tax incentives to help bolster the United States’ film industry.
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Gemma Martini, board chair for Screen B.C. and the founder and CEO of Martini Studios in Langley, said the TV/film industry is a global business and every major production hub around the globe is “analyzing ways to remain competitive.” And the U.S. “is now doing the same.”
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In a Truth Social post on Aug. 31, Trump said he had met with actor Jon Voight to discuss the film industry, specifically the movement of film jobs to Canada and other countries.
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“Jon, and many others in the Industry, are suggesting we do Federal Tax Incentives in order to Make our Movie and Television Production Business GREAT AGAIN, perhaps GREATER THAN EVER BEFORE!” Trump wrote.
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As to what those proposed credits would amount to or when they would appear, the president offered no details. This follows Trump’s 2025 threat to put a 100 per cent tariff on films made outside the U.S.
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While Trump makes noise online, Martini says it important to focus on “what we can control here at home” rather than worry about the unknowns south of the border.
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“The conversation shouldn’t be about reacting to one announcement from the United States,” said Martini. “It should be about ensuring Canada has a long-term strategy that keeps us competitive in a rapidly changing global production environment.”
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Martini said we should be proud of the industry we’ve built in B.C., but that success can’t be taken for granted.
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“As other jurisdictions become more competitive, we need to make sure our own policies and incentives continue to protect the industry we’ve built and support the people and businesses that depend on it.”
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In a statement emailed to Postmedia, the B.C. Ministry of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport noted it was aware of the president’s comments and was waiting to hear more before taking any action.
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“At this stage, no legislation has been introduced, and few details have been provided on how such a program would be structured or implemented,” the statement reads. “Decisions about U.S. tax policy are a matter for the U.S. government.”
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A potential federal tax incentive, whatever that may look like, will accompany strong state incentives that already exist in places like California. Since June 2025, eligible productions in that state receive a base 35 to 40 per cent refundable tax credit.
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In B.C., where the TV/film business brought in around $3.1 billion in 2024 and employed close to 50,000 full-time workers, the provincial tax credit for Canadian-content film and television productions is 40 per cent. The tax credit for international productions is 36 per cent.
