ATLANTA — President Donald Trump says he is looking at potential tariffs on foreign films.
Locally, some see it as a sign that film production here could get some federal help, while others fear it could slow down the industry that shoots all over the world.
The core of the problem is tax credits.
For years, Georgia has offered one of the best tax credits in the United States. The move helped lead to a boom in film production in Georgia.
“It’s everything. Those tax breaks make or break productions,” William Eric Bush-Anderson, an independent film director, said.
Bush-Anderson has directed multiple series, including “Surviving Lake Lanier” on Amazon.
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“Every dollar counts. Every day, you are burning money,” he told Channel 2’s Michael Doudna.
However, in recent years, foreign countries have increased their tax credits.
For example, the UK and Ireland are offering up to 40% in tax credits for some productions.
“In real estate, there is this saying of location, location, location. In film and production, it’s money, money, money,” Georgia Entertainment CEO Randy Davidson said.
Davidson said movies, not being a physical product, would make it a tariff nightmare.
However, he believes the attention may lead to a more favorable film climate stateside.
“The tariff directive from the president is more symbolic, we feel like,” Davidson said.
Directors like Bush-Anderson are skeptical and fear tariffs would hurt the film business, costing jobs both here and abroad.
“We need to look at what other countries are doing to incentivize filmmakers and why filmmakers are going to Ireland and the UK,” Bush-Anderson said.
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