Film Producer Berben Slams US Tariffs on Film Industry
U.S. tariffs driving up costs in film production, as per comments by Berben - Film producer Berben discusses U.S. tariffs, expressing concerns over increasing production costs
Get ready for some straight talk from film producer Oliver Berben, who's none too happy about Donald Trump's proposed tariffs on movies! Speaking with the "Munich Mercury," Berben, head of Munich-based Constantin Film, is urging the powers that be to give the film industry some love.
Why, you ask? Well, Berben points out that for every euro invested in a German film location, there's a substantial return on investment, boosting the economy straight up.
But here's the kicker: as costs for film shoots continue to rise (yep, just like in the US), big productions are taking off to countries with cheaper production costs. Canada's got the lion's share of American films now, and Europe? Germany's taking its movies to places like the Czech Republic and Croatia. The ZDF series "Hotel Adlon" was entirely filmed outside Germany.
Berben gets straight to the point: "Tariffs are taxes on goods." Guess what? Films aren't goods; they're intellectual property that needs to be shared with the masses. If the U.S. were to slap additional costs on foreign productions, it'd be a serious blow to Constantin Film, the only German company producing English-language films for the US market. He bring up the reboot of "Resident Evil" as an example. The decision on where to produce it will need some thoughtful consideration now.
Trump's plans for tariffs on film production are causing cocked eyebrows across the industry. Berben can't get his head around it: "If you impose taxes on goods, you're hitting industries' pockets. Sweetheart, films aren't goods, they're art, man!"
- Oliver Berben
- Film Production
- Donald Trump
- US President
- Tariffs
- Germany
- USA
- Head
- Constantin Film
- Munich
- Munich Mercury
Bonus Facts:
- Tariffs might boost domestic film production by encouraging companies to move more operations to the US to avoid additional costs.
- Retaliation from other countries through imposing their own tariffs on US films is a possible risk.
- The tariffs could negatively affect streaming platforms, especially those that rely heavily on international content.
- The proposed tariffs could shake up the global film collaborations, forcing companies to reconsider their strategies for international productions.
- Oliver Berben expresses his concerns about Donald Trump's proposed tariffs on films, stating that they would not only affect his company, Constantin Film, but also the entire German film industry.
- Berben argues that films are intellectual property, not goods, and imposing tariffs on foreign productions would be detrimental to the film industry, potentially negatively impacting employment policies, business growth, and community development in involved countries.
