The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) has issued a cautionary note against adopting an overly nationalistic stance on screen content in Canada. This warning comes as looming tariffs imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump lead some Canadians to boycott American exports, including film and television productions. A recent Leger poll indicates that 81% of Canadians have started purchasing more Canadian-made products in protest of Trump's tariff threats, although only 28% have canceled or plan to cancel their subscriptions to U.S. streaming services like Netflix and Disney Plus.
Cameron Bailey, the CEO of TIFF, expressed concerns that a purely nationalistic approach could negatively impact the film industry and Canadians aspiring to work across the border. He warned that such a stance might provoke a similar response from the U.S., which could be detrimental to Canadians working in the American film industry. Bailey emphasized the importance of maintaining a collaborative relationship between the Canadian and U.S. screen industries.
“The Canadian screen industry and the U.S. screen industry should always be collegial and not adversarial.” – Cameron Bailey
Foreign projects constitute a significant portion of Canada's film and TV production landscape. In the 2023-24 period, these projects accounted for 49% of all production, generating an impressive $4.73 billion and creating 91,120 jobs. Despite this considerable contribution, the potential for a "sentiment shift" among viewers and creators due to rising nationalism remains a concern for TIFF.
TIFF is taking proactive steps to bolster Canadian content by launching a content market in 2026, which will serve as a hub for buying and selling Canadian and international film, TV, and digital content. Backed by $23 million in federal funding, this initiative aims to provide a larger platform for Canadian creators who are already leveraging TIFF for business opportunities.
“We think if we’re bringing more of the global industry to town, then we can actually bring the world screen industries to Canada’s doorstep every single year.” – Cameron Bailey
Bailey hopes that more Canadian success stories, similar to CBC's "Schitt's Creek," which found immense popularity in the U.S. after debuting on Netflix, will emerge from this initiative. The content market seeks to create a unique intersection between public audience engagement and the industry, offering a distinct meeting point each year.
“We want to build a crossroads between public audience engagement and the industry, and have this be the real meeting point every year.” – Cameron Bailey
Meanwhile, President Trump has named actors Sylvester Stallone, Jon Voight, and Mel Gibson as "special ambassadors" tasked with redirecting business from foreign countries back to Hollywood. This move underscores the increasing tension between the two nations' film industries.
Bailey stressed that pride in Canadian screen stories should not lead to isolationism. He believes that such an approach would be detrimental not only to Canada but also to Canadians if mirrored by the United States.
“That’s what we’re really keeping a close eye on: that difference between pride in Canadian screen stories and a kind of closing down and a purely nationalistic approach to screen content. I think that’s bad for Canada if it happens here, and it’s especially bad for Canadians if the U.S. decides to go that route as well.” – Cameron Bailey
