President Trump has announced plans to impose a 100% tariff on all foreign-made films entering the United States. Framing the move as a strategy to "revitalize Hollywood," the administration is using national security language to justify a cultural blockade that threatens to cut American audiences off from the world.

This isn’t about helping Hollywood, it’s about controlling what we see and hear.

Foreign films bring diverse perspectives, artistic innovation, and vital cultural exchange. From Oscar-winning masterpieces to under-the-radar gems, these movies broaden our minds and connect us to stories that transcend borders. They challenge us, move us, and remind us of our shared humanity.

By slapping an enormous tariff on foreign films, this policy would make international cinema harder to distribute, more expensive to screen, and nearly impossible for independent theaters and streaming platforms to justify acquiring. This will stifle creativity, hurt small businesses, and deprive audiences of the global storytelling that has long enriched American culture.

Cinema is not propaganda. Cinema is art. It’s freedom. And no president should have the power to price it out of existence.

We call on Congress, film industry leaders, and the American public to reject this dangerous overreach. Stand with filmmakers, artists, theater owners, and moviegoers across the country to protect our right to see the world on screen.

Don’t let politics silence creativity. Don’t let tariffs kill international film.

Photo:Illustration / Courtney Jones; Greg Nash; and Getty Images