INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
The Toronto International Film Festival said Thursday it was pausing all upcoming screenings of the controversial documentary film "Russians
at War" after receiving "significant threats.""We have been made aware of significant threats to festival operations and public safety,"
festival organizers said in a statement, pointing to reports they received "indicating potential activity in the coming days that pose
significant risk.""This is an unprecedented move for TIFF," the statement added
"Given the severity of these concerns, we cannot proceed as planned.""Russians at War," directed by Anastasia Trofimova, was first presented
at the 81st Venice Film Festival
that seeks to whitewash and justify Moscow's full-scale invasion.Throughout the film, soldiers appear to have little idea of why they have
been sent to the front line and are shown struggling to make Soviet-era weapons serviceable
American premiere in Toronto on Friday, followed by additional screenings on Saturday and Sunday.Canada's Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia
Freeland criticized the planned screening in Toronto, saying "there can be no moral equivalency in our understanding of this
Likewise, Ukraine's state film agency appealed to TIFF to drop the film, which it said was "a dangerous tool for public opinion
manipulation."Trofimova has rejected criticisms of her documentary, telling AFP that it was "an anti-war film" showing "ordinary guys" who
were fighting on the side of Russia.Producer Sean Farnel said on X that the decision to cancel the screenings was "heartbreaking."He blamed
officials' public criticisms for having "incited the violent hate that has led to TIFF's painful decision to pause its presentation of
