EntertainmentPosted at: May 12 2025 10:23PM


Cannes Film Festival director Thierry Frémaux urges restraint as Trump tariffs threaten global film industry

Cannes, May 12 (UNI) As Donald Trump floats the idea of heavy tariffs on imported films, Cannes Film Festival director Thierry Frémaux has called for restraint, suggesting that the industry hold off on reacting until the situation becomes clearer.
Trump recently raised the possibility of imposing a 120 percent tariff on foreign film and television productions that benefit from overseas tax incentives — part of a broader push to bring film production back to American soil.
The proposal, which reportedly has support from conservative actor Jon Voight, is part of Trump’s wider "Make Hollywood Great Again" messaging, reports Deadline.
At a press conference in Cannes, Frémaux treaded carefully when asked about the potential implications of such tariffs on international cinema and festivals.
“He started off by saying one thing, then contradicted himself,” he said of Trump’s shifting rhetoric. “I can’t answer your question at this stage... it’s too early in the game.”
Frémaux did, however, acknowledge the seriousness of the issue. “The idea that American cinema could be penalised by foreign countries (in response) is something worth discussing,” he said. “But cinema always finds a way of existing and reinventing itself.”
He pointed to an interesting post-Covid trend: “There were fewer American films in the world; therefore, national productions became more successful.”
The shift, he noted, shows the resilience of local industries when given space to thrive.
“If I were to say one thing, I’d say that here at the Cannes Film Festival, we would never want American cinema to cease being strong. That’s what really counts,” Frémaux added.
The US President had initially declared on May four that he was considering steep tariffs on film imports to the US, but appeared to backtrack just a day later, telling reporters: “I’m not looking to hurt the industry; I want to help the industry. We’re going to meet with the industry. I want to make sure they’re happy with it, because we’re all about jobs.”
His comments came hours after more than 100 film and TV organisations worldwide signed an open letter urging governments to protect the systems that support independent and culturally diverse filmmaking.
The potential tariffs, first floated by conservative actor and Trump ally Jon Voight, are part of a broader call to bring Hollywood productions back to the United States by disincentivising foreign shoots that benefit from government incentives abroad.
While the letter did not mention Trump by name, it condemned “algorithm-driven platforms, the growing dominance of global entertainment conglomerates,” and the accelerating use of AI — all of which, it said, threaten artistic freedom and cultural diversity.
Though the tariff discussion took the centrestage this week, this year’s 78th Cannes Film Festival has largely avoided scandal — a marked change from last year’s speculation around a potential #MeToo exposé involving filmmakers on the official programme.
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