President Donald Trump has announced plans for a federal incentive program aimed at bringing film and television production back to the United States, an idea that has drawn support from entertainment labor unions and California Democrats alike.
The proposal, which Trump has referred to as the “Motion Picture, Television, and Entertainment Revitalization Act,” grew out of a meeting between the president and actor Jon Voight, who has been serving as an ambassador to Hollywood. A formal legislative plan has not yet been released, but Trump’s stated goal is to offer tax credits to studios, producers and directors who film in the United States rather than abroad.
Trump has argued that film and television production has increasingly shifted to Canada and other countries offering more competitive incentives, leaving California and other states with fewer jobs in the industry. He has said the proposed federal tax credits would be recouped many times over through additional tax revenue and has called on Congress to act quickly, describing the effort as one that should draw bipartisan support.
Unions Line Up Behind the Proposal
Three major unions representing Southern California entertainment workers publicly backed Trump’s call for federal production incentives: SAG-AFTRA, the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, and Teamsters Local 399. All three argued that U.S. productions and thousands of jobs have moved overseas because other countries offer stronger financial incentives to filmmakers.
SAG-AFTRA president Sean Astin, known for roles in the Lord of the Rings franchise, The Goonies and Stranger Things, joined national executive director Duncan Crabtree-Ireland in issuing a joint statement praising the president’s involvement.
“Calling for federal production incentives is exactly what the entertainment industry needs,” the statement from Astin and Crabtree-Ireland said, crediting Trump’s “vocal and determined leadership.”
Astin previously took part in “White Dudes for Harris,” a 2024 fundraising effort supporting then-Vice President Kamala Harris’s presidential campaign that raised roughly $4 million during a Zoom call.
Democrats Also on Board
Support for the tax credit proposal has extended beyond entertainment unions. California Gov. Gavin Newsom and California Sen. Adam Schiff, both Democrats, have also expressed support for the plan as a way to bring production jobs back to the state.
No formal bill has been introduced in Congress as of this report, and further details on how the proposed incentive program would be structured have not yet been made public.
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