TIFF Cancels Screening of 'Russians at War'

The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) has postponed screenings of the controversial film Russians at War, directed by Russian filmmaker Anastasia Trofimova, after initial screenings were cancelled due to widespread criticism.

The festival’s website now lists the film as screening on Tuesday, September 17. This date follows the conclusion of the 2024 festival, with no further screenings scheduled for September 16 or later.

The film was pulled from the original lineup after a strong backlash, with the festival’s organizing committee citing “safety considerations” as the reason for the cancellation. However, the committee insisted the film would be screened at a later date “when it is safer.”

Toronto police later clarified that the festival’s decision to cancel the screenings was made independently and was not based on any police recommendations.

Police also said there were no known security threats to the festival at this time.

Yuliya Kovaliv, Ukraine’s ambassador to Canada, said she was disappointed that the festival had not acknowledged its mistake in the cancellation statement.

Additionally, TV Ontario, the Canadian media organization that funded the film, has decided not to air it in the future.