Toronto film festival to go ahead and screen controversial propaganda film about Russians at war – photo

The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) has set a new screening date for the controversial film Russians at War by Russian director Anastasia Trofimova after the first screenings were cancelled amid a barrage of criticism that the film whitewashes the Russian invaders fighting in Ukraine.

Source: schedule on the festival's website, as reported by European Pravda

Details: The screening of Russians at War by Russian director Anastasia Trofimova is scheduled for Tuesday, 17 September.

However, the 2024 festival is officially over, and no other film screenings are scheduled for 16 September or any other days.

Background: 

• Following a barrage of criticism, the festival organising committee cancelled the initial screenings of the film, citing "security concerns". However, they stated that the film would still be shown at a later date "when it is safe to do so".
• Meanwhile, Toronto police clarified that the TIFF organising committee's decision to cancel the screenings was made independently and "was not based on any recommendations from the Toronto Police". They also stated that they were unaware of any current security threats at the festival.
• Yuliia Kovaliv, Ukraine's Ambassador to Canada, expressed disappointment that the festival's statement regarding the cancellation did not acknowledge its mistake.
• The Canadian media organisation TVO (TV Ontario), which funded the production of the film, has decided not to air it in the future following the public outcry.

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