An opening night screening at the Toronto Film Festival was interrupted by pro-Palestinian protesters rallying against the Royal Bank of Canada, which is the official bank partner of TIFF.
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The four protesters entered the Princess of Wales Theatre ahead of the 6 p.m. showing of “Nutcrackers,” a dramedy starring Ben Stiller and directed by David Gordon Green, while chanting, “RBC funds genocide,” in an apparent reference to the bank’s ties to Israel, as the country’s war with Gaza enters its 11th month.
The protesters held signs with messages including “RBC is killing our future,” as seen in videos posted by New York Times reporter Kyle Buchanan . The protesters were escorted out of the theater by security after about five minutes.
As TIFF CEO Cameron Bailey continued through his opening remarks, ignoring the interruption, the audience seated for “Nutcrackers” booed the protesters and shouted back, “Go home!” and “Go away!”
RBC said in a statement, “We respect the right of individuals to make their voices heard, but it’s unfortunate to see activist groups attempting to co-opt this important cultural event. Protestors targeting corporate sponsors are shifting attention from the work of artists and weakening support for essential arts and cultural programs.
“The humanitarian crisis in Israel and Gaza continues to have a devastating impact and we feel deeply for everyone who is affected. We continue to hear from employees, clients and community members, and we know this is difficult for anyone with ties to the region.”
Representatives for TIFF did not immediately respond to Variety ‘s request for comment.
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This isn’t the first time that RBC’s involvement at TIFF has caused controversy. Last year, before the Oct. 7 attack that started the war in the Middle East, a group of Canadian filmmakers joined together with Hollywood stars urging the Toronto Film Festival to cut its ties with RBC because of its funding of the oil and gas industry. The campaign, called RBC Off Screen, recruited A-listers such as Mark Ruffalo, Rachel McAdams and Joaquin Phoenix to sign an open letter outlining its concerns about TIFF’s partnership with RBC, which is the “No. 1 financier of fossil fuel development in the world,” according to CBC .
A press release from RBC Off Screen framed the protest at “Nutcrackers” as “an act of solidarity with those fighting to address the climate emergency, as well as end the war in Gaza, and support Indigenous sovereignty.”
“TIFF’s relationship with RBC is art-washing crimes that threaten both human life and the planet,” said Elza Kephart, a filmmaker at Midnight Kingdom Films and an organizer and spokesperson for RBC Off Screen. “As film workers, we refuse to allow our industry to be co-opted by those profiting from the destruction of our climate and communities.”
TIFF will officially kick off its 49th edition at 8 p.m. with the official world premiere of “Nutcrackers.” Over the next 10 days, films like Ron Howard’s survival thriller “Eden,” Marielle Heller’s horror comedy “Nightbitch” with Amy Adams, the animated “The Wild Robot” and John Crowley’s “We Live in Time,” starring Andrew Garfield and Florence Pugh, will screen for Canadian audiences.
This year’s festival, which runs from Sept. 5-15, hopes to rebound after last year’s event was hobbled by the actors and writers strikes that prevented major stars from attending.
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