IF implemented, President Trump’s 100% tariffs on movies made outside of the US will have an impact on filmmaking budgets, and could result in job losses, but it could also present a positive challenge for the industry here in Ireland, according to the Oscar-winning movie producer David Puttnam.
‘This is not the end of the world for the European film industry – in fact it could be a new beginning, especially for small studios like the West Cork Film Studios (WCFS) in Skibbereen, which isn’t burdened with huge overheads,’ he told The Southern Star.
‘We are a nation of storytellers, and we need to start telling our stories to European audiences on affordable budgets,’ said David.
He said that when he came into the industry it was dominated by America in terms of production and revenue, but that is no longer the case.
At that time, he said, 70% of all revenue came from the US and Canada but today that figure is as low as 28%.
Ireland’s role in TV and movie making has grown exponentially and can be seen in the success of Schull’s Fastnet Film Festival, as well as the creation of the WCFS.
Schull, a village without a cinema, has built its success on the goodwill of local film producers, actors, crew members who have made West Cork their home, a huge team of volunteers, and an extremely generous benefactor who provided them with not one but two buildings for administration and the annual film festival.
Hilary McCarthy of Fastnet Film Festival told The Southern Star: ‘We celebrate international filmmaking, and anything that could hinder the growth of the Irish film industry is a cause for concern. The proposed tariffs are still in the early stages, so for the moment, I think it’s a case of wait and see how things unfold.’
Édaín O’Donnell, a director of WCFS, admitted that President Trump’s threat to impose tariffs on the foreign film industry has created massive confusion.
‘It’s not even clear how this tariff could be implemented,’ she said. ‘Film isn’t taxable goods. It’s a service industry,’ said Édaín, who also pointed out that the same tariffs would ultimately sabotage America’s own screen industry.
‘If this insanity is pursued it will do nothing but hasten the US film industry’s pending demise,’ she said.
‘Nevertheless, we do need a strong response from our minister for culture.’
David Puttnam said the proposed tariffs will not be of enormous commercial benefit to the US that Trump is hoping or wishing for.
Referring to the Italian neo-realism movies of the 1940’s, and the French new wave of the fifties, the producer said great works emerge despite, and not because of, money.
‘We could do the same with new filmmakers, finding new young audiences for films that resonate with their real-life experiences,’ he added.
As an example, David said a sensational new film called ‘Christy’, which was made in North Cork and is due to be released next month, shows just what the Irish film industry can achieve even if it was made on a shoestring budget.
