February 8, 2025
Before an audience of 1,000 industry leaders, studio executives, producers, and key decision-makers, DGA President Lesli Linka Glatter delivered a powerful call to action at this year’s DGA Awards, saying: “Bring production back to the United States, and bring it back in force.” The declaration was met with resounding applause, underscoring the urgency of the issue.
For decades, the DGA has fought against runaway production, working at all levels to secure and expand funding for critical tax incentives that keep film and television jobs in the U.S.
Glatter emphasized that, following years of turmoil caused by the strikes, pandemic, and recent wildfires, now is the time to “reinvest and recommit” to the communities and workers who built our industry — Directors and their teams, Actors, Writers, IA crews, and Teamsters.
Acknowledging that protecting the nation’s film and television industry will take a commitment from across the entertainment ecosystem, Glatter stressed the need for collective action. “The DGA is committed to working in community with all who share this cause. It will take an army of us to influence policymakers in state capitals and in Washington, D.C., to protect and grow a vibrant domestic industry — one that creates opportunity for all.”
She also called on industry guilds and unions to lead by example, “Those of us who have fought for years to bring production home know what solidarity looks like. We must show the way, together.”
The message was clear: the future of American film and television depends on a united, determined effort to reclaim and rebuild domestic production.