TIFF festivities are in full swing in Toronto, and, in the absence of striking actors, musicians have been taking a large portion of the spotlight as some of the only stars able to promote their film projects. Meme-age pop star Lil Nas X was present when his documentary, Lil Nas X: Long Live Montero, premiered on Saturday (September 9) — but not until after the screening was delayed due to a bomb threat.
The screening was scheduled to begin at 10 p.m. at Roy Thomson Hall. Co-directors Carlos López Estrada and Zac Manuel, as well as editor Andrew Morrow, arrived on the red carpet and posed with fans. However, as the film's subject pulled up to join them, TIFF organizers were informed that a bomb threat had been called in, and he was told to hold off for his safety.
A source told Variety that the threat specifically targeted Lil Nas X for being a Black queer artist. However, others — including a spokesperson for TIFF and the police — claimed the threat was "general" and not targeted.
Security conducted a 20-minute sweep of the venue, and, after the threat was proven not credible, the pop star hit the red carpet. The movie started at 10:30, with Exclaim!'s own Editor-in-Chief arriving at the premiere 15 minutes before the film was scheduled to start and experiencing no delay getting into the theatre or any indication of the threat.
"Earlier this evening, we were made aware by the Toronto Police Service of an investigation in the vicinity of the red carpet for the Lil Nas X: Long Live Montero screening," the TIFF spokesperson told Variety. Our standard security measures remained in place during this time and the screening commenced with a slight delay. To our knowledge, this was a general threat and not directed at the film or the artist."
Lil Nas X also stuck around after the film screening to do an interview with TIFF CEO Cameron Baley alongside Estrada and Manuel, as well as an audience Q&A, where he teased some "fire-ass" new music.
The 2023 Toronto International Film Festival runs from September 7 to 17. Although the film festival has been relatively incident-free in terms of security over its 46-year history, attendees of this year's edition have reportedly encountered some delays and cancellations.
The screening was scheduled to begin at 10 p.m. at Roy Thomson Hall. Co-directors Carlos López Estrada and Zac Manuel, as well as editor Andrew Morrow, arrived on the red carpet and posed with fans. However, as the film's subject pulled up to join them, TIFF organizers were informed that a bomb threat had been called in, and he was told to hold off for his safety.
A source told Variety that the threat specifically targeted Lil Nas X for being a Black queer artist. However, others — including a spokesperson for TIFF and the police — claimed the threat was "general" and not targeted.
Security conducted a 20-minute sweep of the venue, and, after the threat was proven not credible, the pop star hit the red carpet. The movie started at 10:30, with Exclaim!'s own Editor-in-Chief arriving at the premiere 15 minutes before the film was scheduled to start and experiencing no delay getting into the theatre or any indication of the threat.
"Earlier this evening, we were made aware by the Toronto Police Service of an investigation in the vicinity of the red carpet for the Lil Nas X: Long Live Montero screening," the TIFF spokesperson told Variety. Our standard security measures remained in place during this time and the screening commenced with a slight delay. To our knowledge, this was a general threat and not directed at the film or the artist."
Lil Nas X also stuck around after the film screening to do an interview with TIFF CEO Cameron Baley alongside Estrada and Manuel, as well as an audience Q&A, where he teased some "fire-ass" new music.
The 2023 Toronto International Film Festival runs from September 7 to 17. Although the film festival has been relatively incident-free in terms of security over its 46-year history, attendees of this year's edition have reportedly encountered some delays and cancellations.
