Toronto Festival Cancels Screening of Russian Film Due to 'Significant Threats'.

The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) has suspended the screening of the film "Russians at War," which whitewashes Russian invaders in Ukraine, due to a security threat. The festival organizers made this unpopular decision, considering it necessary to protect guests and the operations of the festival. The decision has already been condemned by the Consul General of Ukraine in Toronto, Oleg Nikolenko, and the Ambassador of Ukraine to Canada, Yulia Kovaliv.

The documentary film "Russians at War," created by Russian-Canadian director Anastasia Trofimova, tells the story of a Russian battalion participating in the war in eastern Ukraine. This film sparked a strong reaction in Ukrainian and Canadian society, and its screening at TIFF led to mass protests. TIFF organizers had repeatedly called for the cancellation of the screening, but decided to refrain from this step in order not to offend Canadian financial partners who were involved in the creation of this film. The next TIFF decision is to ban associates of the film from participating in the prestigious festival in Toronto.