TIFF drops Russian soldiers documentary following ‘threats’

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The Toronto International Film Festival has decided not to screen a documentary about Russian soldiers this weekend after being made aware of “significant threats” to the festival’s operations.

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TIFF said withdrawing the Friday, Saturday and Sunday screenings of Russians at War was an “unprecedented move” for the festival.

The decision comes a day after organizers issued a statement supporting the screening following criticisms from the Ukrainian community claiming the film was Russian propaganda that whitewashes the responsibility of Russian soldiers committing war crimes.

TIFF said the film is an official Canada-France co-production with funding from several Canadian agencies, at both the federal and provincial level. It added that the festival is unaware of participation by any Russian government agencies.

“While we stand firm on our statement shared [Wednesday], this decision has been made in order to ensure the safety of all festival guests, staff, and volunteers,” the festival said in a statement Thursday afternoon.

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Organizers said they acknowledge and respect the concerns expressed by the community and support civil discourse and differences of opinion.

“However, we have received reports indicating potential activity in the coming days that pose significant risk; given the severity of these concerns, we cannot proceed as planned,” organizers said.

“This has been an incredibly difficult decision. When we select films, we’re guided by TIFF’s mission, our values, and our programming principles. We believe this film has earned a place in our festival’s lineup, and we are committed to screening it when it is safe to do so.”

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At Tuesday afternoon’s press and industry screening for the film, a large group gathered outside the Scotiabank Theatre’s entrance and chanted “Shame on TIFF” while protesting the documentary.

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Also Tuesday, Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland denounced the use of public money to fund the film.

“It’s not right for Canadian public money to be supporting the screening and production of a film like this,” Freeland told reporters in Nanaimo, B.C.

TIFF responded by saying in no way should the film be considered Russian propaganda.

“While we understand the concerns expressed by many, we believe, like the Venice Film Festival and other international festivals who have programmed the film, that this Canadian documentary merits a place in our selection.”

Organizers added that they “stand for the right of artists and cultural workers to express fair political comment freely and oppose censorship” while they understand the suffering of the Ukrainian people following Russia’s illegal invasion in February 2022.

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