Shamel Studio co-founder and CEO Feras Alfuqaha told Fox News Digital how his company’s AI tool aims to dramatically reduce the time and cost of scheduling and budgeting during film pre-production. President Donald Trump is calling on Congress to pass a federal tax incentive aimed at bringing film and television production and entertainment jobs back to the United States, drawing support from both a major Hollywood trade group and California Democratic Sen. Adam Schiff. Trump announced the initiative Monday after meeting with actor Jon Voight, one of his ambassadors to Hollywood, saying that Voight and others in the entertainment industry have urged the administration to support federal incentives for domestic production. “I’m going to suggest that Republicans and Democrats get together and immediately craft legislation to save the film, television and entertainment business in America,” Trump wrote in Truth Social, adding, “Congress should immediately pass a federal production incentive to create entertainment jobs in America.” TRUMP URGES CANADIAN BUSINESSES TO MOVE TO US IMMEDIATELY, SAYS ‘I DON’T WANT ANYTHING CANADIAN’ President Donald Trump announced what he called “the largest oil deal in world history” between the United States and Venezuela, saying the deal would increase US oil supplies and reduce gas prices. (Al Drago/The Washington Post/Bloomberg via Getty Images/Getty Images) Trump said American film and television work has increasingly moved to Canada and other countries and that meetings are being arranged with leaders of both parties in an effort to advance legislation. The president did not specify the size or structure of the incentive he wants Congress to enact. However, a proposal backed by Voight allies would provide a 20% federal tax credit for U.S. labor costs in qualified film and television productions. Steven Paul, CEO of SP Media Group, Voight’s producer and agent, and Scott Karol, president of SP Media, proposed the 20% credit, according to Reuters. HOW DOLLY PARTON TRANSFORMED A SMALL TENNESSEE TOWN INTO A TOURISM EMPIRE Guild of America and unions representing actors, writers and other entertainment workers as the industry seeks to curb the movement of production overseas, Reuters reported. Trump’s post on Monday did not say whether he supports that specific 20% proposal. Schiff quickly backed Trump’s broader call, marking a rare area of agreement among the long-time political adversaries. countries,” Schiff wrote in Pictures, Universal Studios, The Walt Disney Studios, Prime Video, Amazon MGM Studios and Warner Bros. Discovery, also welcomed Trump’s announcement. DISNEY OFFERS VOLUNTARY EARLY RETIREMENT PACKAGES TO LONG-TERM EXECUTIVES AMID RESTRUCTURING PUSH “A federal incentive would be a historic step to bring more production to local communities in all 50 states, strengthening our economy. nation and make our country a more competitive place to produce, create and tell great stories,” said MPA President and CEO Charles Rivkin. The Hollywood sign appears during a ceremony marking the 100th anniversary of when it was first lit, in Los Angeles, California, on Dec. 8, 2023. (DAVID SWANSON/AFP via Getty Images/Getty Images) Rivkin said the group looks forward to working with the White House and bipartisan leaders in Congress to enact a domestic production incentive. Voight has previously advocated for a federal tax credit designed to bolster U.S. film and television production. The economic activity generated by a federal incentive would more than offset its cost to the government, although he did not provide analysis to support that projection. CLICK HERE TO START FOX BUSINESS “What we see on the big screen must be made in what was once the movie capital of the world,” Trump wrote.
