Get a conversation started about what public tax dollars should or shouldn’t be spent on, and you’ll get a LOT of people joining the conversation. This story that I read over at Yahoo News got me thinking about just that issue again. First… here’s the story in question:
Mexican directors Guillermo del Toro, Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu and Alfonso Cuaron, fresh off a raft of awards season accolades, have met with Mexico’s new president to urge more support for the struggling national film industry. The so-called “three amigos” said on a Tuesday news program that they recently met with President Felipe Calderon in a bid to garner more backing for the industry. They added that they plan to meet with lawmakers Wednesday. The three filmmakers, who also produce movies, are pressuring the federal government to create better distribution and exhibition opportunities for local production companies. Of about 60 films produced here in 2006, only half hit theaters.
Ok, first let me say that I have NO PROBLEM with these guys looking to get support for their art and their business. They have the right to ask, and I think there’s nothing wrong with the asking. The question is… what should governments and societies do with those requests for public funds to assist a certain industry?
According to reports, the movie industry generated almost $30 Billion dollars at the international box office last year… and none of that takes DVD sales into account either. There is no denying that the movies are a BIG business. A-List actors making upwards of $20 million per movie (really stupid) so much glitter and glamour doesn’t really lend itself to being an industry with a poor man’s hat out to the government looking for a hand out does it?
On the one hand, take Canada for example. Canada has HUGE tax breaks and benefits for making movies here (one of the reasons so many Hollywood movies are produced up North of the Boarder these days). The benefit is that it increases Canada’s image on the international stage, it generates lots of jobs in the industry for people who live here, and those people pay taxes. There is no denying that there are some tangible benefits to the government helping out with the movie industry.
However, on the other hand… when our education system, health system and just over all financial status is precarious to say the least… is giving free money to a $30+ BILLION dollar industry really what tax payers dollars should be used for?
They want to shoot a Samuel L. Jackson movie up here? Great! What’s that? Jackson alone is getting $8 million, the movie will probably make $50 million at the box office… and they want ME to pay for it???? Are they going to share the profits by putting money back into the tax coffers? No? That doesn’t seem right, and a LOT of people have a problem with it.
This is one of those rare issues that I don’t really have a strong opinion on either way yet. I just thought it was an interesting question and I thought I’d throw it open to you guys to discuss. So what do you think?
