The Toronto International Film Festival has called off all upcoming screenings of the controversial film Russians at War, citing "significant threats to festival operations and public safety."
Following protests of the documentary — which was directed by Russian-Canadian filmmaker Anastasia Trofimova and purports to "join Russian soldiers in Ukraine" — TIFF cancelled this weekend's screenings "in order to ensure the safety of all festival guests, staff, and volunteers."
TIFF noted that "we stand firm on our statement," in which the festival previously maintained, "As a cultural institution, we stand for the right of artists and cultural workers to express fair political comment freely and oppose censorship."
Russians at War was due to have its North American premiere on Friday (September 13), with subsequent screenings set for Saturday and Sunday.
On Thursday (September 10), protesters gathered outside of a press screening. Yesterday (September 11), TVO withdrew its support of the film.
Read TIFF's full statement here.