It’s been a season of reckoning and recalibration for Canada, both in the limelight of its entertainment industry and on the world stage of international diplomacy. Two seemingly disparate events—the Canadian Screen Awards' (CSA) overhaul of its eligibility rules and Prime Minister Mark Carney’s high-profile visit to Mexico—are, in fact, threads in the same tapestry: a country wrestling with its identity, its alliances, and its place amid shifting global power dynamics.
On September 17, 2025, the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television announced a dramatic shift for the Canadian Screen Awards, Canada’s answer to the Oscars and Emmys. Starting with the 2026 edition, only Canadian citizens or permanent residents will be eligible for nominations, effectively ending the tradition of honoring foreign talent—including American actors—in Canadian productions. As reported by The Hollywood Reporter, the Academy stated, “In order to best celebrate and honor Canadians working on Canadian productions, individuals must be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident of Canada to be eligible for a Canadian Screen Award.”
This move comes at a time of heightened nationalism, fueled in part by U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariff threats and annexation rhetoric. The Canadian entertainment sector, long reliant on Hollywood investment and star power, has found itself caught between the desire to showcase homegrown talent and the realities of a globalized industry. The 2025 CSAs, for instance, saw international stars like Cate Blanchett win best lead performance in a comedy for her role in Guy Maddin’s Rumours, while The Apprentice—a Canada-Ireland-Denmark co-production exploring Trump’s origins—took home the best film prize. Sebastian Stan and Jeremy Strong, both American actors, were also among the night’s big winners.
But the new rules are more than just a reaction to recent headlines. They’re about cultural sovereignty. ACTRA, Canada’s actors union, welcomed the change, stating, “At a time when Canada’s cultural sovereignty is under pressure, the Canadian Screen Awards are uniquely positioned to celebrate Canadian excellence, with Canadian performers rightfully at the center. This decision is a vital investment in Canada’s cultural future.”
Not everyone is cheering, however. Allan Ungar, director of the Canadian action comedy London Calling, voiced concerns that the new eligibility rules could limit the international sale and promotional reach of Canadian films. “It’s a little disappointing, especially as we’re making Canadian films by Canadians, and often we have to feature American actors to get them financed and sold worldwide,” Ungar told The Hollywood Reporter. The tension between supporting local talent and appealing to global markets is, evidently, a tightrope walk.
To balance this, the Academy is introducing four new “Spotlight” categories, designed to honor Canadian directors, writers, performers, and producers working on international TV series made and broadcast in Canada. There will also be a new Creator of the Year prize, recognizing Canadian digital creators with significant reach on platforms like YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, and Twitch. These changes aim to reflect the evolving nature of Canadian content, increasingly visible on the world stage.
Meanwhile, outside the glitz of the awards circuit, Canada’s diplomatic corps is working overtime to shore up alliances and navigate the choppy waters of North American trade. Prime Minister Mark Carney’s official trip to Mexico this week was more than a courtesy call—it was a mission to reset a partnership that, despite three decades of free trade under NAFTA and its successor, the USMCA, has often been neglected or fraught with tension.
According to The Globe and Mail, Carney’s visit followed closely on the heels of missions by Foreign Minister Anita Anand and Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne, both aimed at repairing ties after Canadian officials last year floated the idea of sidelining Mexico in favor of a bilateral deal with the U.S. The subtext? Ottawa is nervous—about tariffs, about being left behind as Britain and the EU cut their own deals with Washington, and about the looming renegotiation of the USMCA.
Mexico, for its part, hasn’t always been the most attentive partner. Under former President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, relations with Canada soured, with nationalist energy policies and protectionist infrastructure rules spooking Canadian investors. When Canadian officials criticized his judicial reforms, AMLO closed diplomatic doors, bringing official relations to a near halt.
Enter President Claudia Sheinbaum, who has brought a new style and tone to Mexican diplomacy. At the G7 summit in Kananaskis this June, she literally handed Carney a soccer ball—a symbolic gesture of teamwork and a marked departure from her predecessor’s hardball tactics. Sheinbaum has reopened diplomatic channels and is betting that Mexico’s best chance of weathering Trump’s trade war is to stand shoulder to shoulder with Canada.
Trump’s latest move—exempting Canada from tariffs on goods meeting USMCA rules of origin while granting Mexico only a 90-day reprieve—has only heightened the sense of urgency. As The Globe and Mail notes, unless Mexico links arms with Canada, it risks being isolated in Washington’s protectionist game, all while facing mounting unilateral pressure from the U.S. on security and drug trafficking. Trump has even signed an executive order allowing military intervention in countries with cartels that threaten the U.S., with Mexico squarely in the crosshairs.
Despite decades of trade, the Canada-Mexico relationship has remained surprisingly thin. Canadian imports of Mexican goods have risen by nearly $10 billion over the past decade, reaching $34.3 billion in 2024, but Canadian exports to Mexico have stayed flat at $5-6 billion. Cultural and political exchanges are minimal, with few university partnerships or civil society ties. As The Globe and Mail wryly observed, “Imagine a couple married for 30 years announcing they’d finally go on a date.”
Yet, both countries now seem to recognize the necessity of closer cooperation. “Washington doesn’t do friendships; it does transactions,” the article states. In this transactional world, Canada and Mexico are stronger together than apart, able to push for consistency—if USMCA-compliant goods are protected for Ottawa, they should be for Mexico too. And if Trump complains about Canada’s border security, closer cooperation with Mexico on migration and drug flows gives Ottawa leverage.
No one is suggesting that trilateralism is a panacea. The two countries’ economies and border challenges are distinct, and Mexico remains a lightning rod in U.S. politics, while Canada does not. But as both nations adjust to a United States that is more transactional and less predictable, building a real Canada–Mexico axis is becoming not just desirable, but essential.
In both the arts and diplomacy, Canada is drawing new boundaries—sometimes literally, sometimes figuratively—in a bid to protect its interests and assert its identity. Whether these moves will pay off, or leave Canada more isolated, is a question only time can answer. For now, the country appears determined to stand on its own feet, even as it seeks new ways to collaborate with its continental neighbors.
