Alec Baldwin’s Western “Rust” had its world premiere at a film festival in Poland Wednesday, but the actor wasn’t present because he wasn’t invited.
Baldwin’s presence would have been too “distracting,” said Kazimierz Suwała, the director of the international Energa Camerimage film festival in the city of Touron.
“We didn’t invite Alec Baldwin, and we never considered doing so,” Suwała told The Hollywood Reporter. “That would be too distracting. What this is about is honoring Halyna’s dreams for her work.”
Suwała is referring to Halyna Hutchins, the Ukrainian-born cinematographer for “Rust.” Hutchins, an up-and-coming talent in the industry, was killed in October 2021, after Baldwin pointed a gun at her during a rehearsal on the film’s set outside Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Alec Baldwin, center, and director Joel Souza confer before a scene on the set of “Rust” at the Yellowstone Film Ranch in Pray, Mont., on April 21, 2023. “Rust” resumed filming here with no real firearms present, 18 months after a gun Baldwin was holding discharged on set in New Mexico, fatally wounding cinematographer Halyna Hutchins. Baldwin’s stunt double, Blake Teixeira, is at far right. (Todd Heisler/The New York Times)
The gun went off, killing Hutchins and wounding director Joel Souza. Baldwin has said he pulled back the hammer — but not the trigger — and the revolver fired. Though the veteran film and TV star called Hutchins’ death a tragic accident, he was charged with manslaughter. However, the case was ultimately dismissed on the grounds that the prosecution had failed to turn over evidence.
It’s not known whether Baldwin would have gone to the festival if he were invited, said TMZ, which reported that he was spotted in New York City Monday, pushing a stroller.
While Baldwin didn’t travel to Poland to walk the red carpet or to promote “Rust” at the screening, organizers held a moment of silence for Hutchins, the Associated Press reported. The festival is a popular industry event that is devoted to cinematography.
PARK CITY, UT – JANUARY 28: Halyna Hutchins attends the SAGindie Sundance Filmmakers Reception at Cafe Terigo on January 28, 2019 in Park City, Utah. (Photo by Fred Hayes/Getty Images for SAGindie)
Souza, a Palo Alto-based filmmaker, then introduced the film. Souza told the audience that he initially couldn’t imagine trying to finish the film after Hutchins’ death. “It just hurt too much,” he said.
But Hutchins’ husband, Matthew, wanted the film to be finished, and came on board as executive producer. Baldwin also wanted to finish the film and returned to finish the production, which had moved to Montana.
But like Baldwin, Matthew Hutchins didn’t attend the premiere. Moreover, Hutchins’ other family members also boycotted the event.
“It was always my hope to meet my daughter in Poland to watch her work come alive on screen,” Olga Solovey, Hutchins’ mother, who lives in Ukraine, said in a statement provided to Fox News Digital. “Unfortunately, that was ripped away from me when Alec Baldwin discharged his gun and killed my daughter.”
“Alec Baldwin continues to increase my pain with …read more
Source:: The Mercury News – Entertainment