On the eve of the opening of the Cannes Film Festival, a group of more than 100 film and television organizations from around the world appealed to the institutions of the European Union and the governments of the world to support the ecosystem of the independent industry after US President Donald Trump announced a plan to introduce duties on film imports. This is reported by UNN with reference to Variety.
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Among the signatories of the appeal are the European Producers Club, which represents leading independent film and television drama producers from continental Europe, Irish Equity, the Association of Independent Directors of South Africa and the Alliance of French-speaking Producers of Canada.
The appeal, entitled "Our Stories, Our Voices: A Global Declaration on Artistic Freedom, Cultural Diversity and Cultural Sovereignty", calls on governments to "stand firm and defend systems that support independent film and audiovisual production so that culture, creativity and democratic access to diverse stories for the screen can continue to thrive".
We are seeing increasingly aggressive attempts by powerful political and corporate players to overturn regulatory safeguards that ensure diversity and accessibility of cultural expression. This includes direct challenges to essential safeguards such as the Audiovisual Media Services Directive in the European Union, proposed local content obligations in Australia, screening quotas in Asia, and requirements for streaming services to promote domestic production in Canada, among others
In Europe, Trump's new aggressive trade policy is prompting American studios to launch a new offensive against the EU's Audiovisual Media Services (AVMS) Directive, which requires foreign streaming services to invest a portion of their revenue in local production.
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The Motion Picture Association, which, among other Hollywood companies, represents the interests of Disney, Netflix, Paramount, Amazon Prime/MGM, Sony Pictures, Universal and Warner Bros., sent a memorandum to the US Trade Representative (USTR) in March – before Trump announced tariffs on films – highlighting "disproportionate investment obligations" in European countries, including France, Germany and Italy.
Recall
US President Donald Trump said that the American film industry is dying and plans to introduce a 100% duty on all films produced abroad. Hollywood producers are calling for an increase in state tax breaks.