The Toronto International Film Festival will not roll out the red carpet for Russian state-supported organizations, delegates and media outlets.
Festival organizers said they intended to “suspend participation” by government-backed groups and cultural ambassadors in response to Russia’s military invasion of Ukraine.
At the same time, TIFF voiced its solidarity with “the Ukrainian people and those in Russia who oppose this attack,” noting that films from independent Russian filmmakers are still welcome.
The festival joins several cultural groups speaking out against the war and introducing related measures, including the Cannes Film Festival, which said it would bar the Russian delegation from attending its edition in May.
Meanwhile, major film studios Warner Bros., Paramount, Disney and Sony have canceled their big-screen releases in Russia as the country’s currency plummeted.
The Toronto International Film Festival takes place from September 8 to 18.
A statement provided by a TIFF spokesperson said the festival “will seek to amplify the voices of independent Ukrainian and Russian filmmakers who continue to illuminate our understanding of the conflict in the region.”
“With our international colleagues in the film world, our thoughts are with the Ukrainian people and the many Ukrainian artists and film professionals who have traveled to TIFF over the years,” the organization said Thursday.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published on March 3, 2022.
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