Halyna Hutchin’s mother boycotts world premiere of film 'Rust'

TORUN

The mother of late cinematographer Halyna Hutchins boycotted the world premiere of “Rust” at a film festival in Poland on Wednesday, saying she views it as an attempt by Alec Baldwin to “unjustly profit” from her daughter’s death.

The Western was set to premiere at the International Film Festival of the Art of Cinematography Camerimage in the city of Torun three years after Hutchins was shot accidentally on set.

Baldwin, the lead actor and co-producer for “Rust,” was pointing a gun at Hutchins during a rehearsal on the set outside Santa Fe, New Mexico, in October 2021 when the revolver 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.

Souza was expected to introduce the film at the festival, a popular industry event dedicated to the art of cinematography, and the premiere was being dedicated to Hutchins.

“It was always my hope to meet my daughter in Poland to watch her work come alive on screen," said Hutchins’ mother Olga Solovey in a statement issued by her lawyer and carried by Britain’s national news agency, PA.

“Unfortunately, that was ripped away from me when Alec Baldwin discharged his gun and killed my daughter," she said. “Alec Baldwin continues to increase my pain with his refusal to apologize to me and his refusal to take responsibility for her death. Instead, he seeks to unjustly profit from his killing of my daughter.”

“That is the reason why I refuse to attend the festival for the promotion of Rust, especially now when there is still no justice for my daughter," she added.

A New Mexico judge dismissed an involuntary manslaughter charge against Baldwin in the fatal shooting. But while the threat of criminal liability was lifted, he is facing other civil lawsuits, including one by Solovey.

This year's CameraImage festival has already been beset by controversy.

“Blitz” director Steve McQueen dropped out of the festival to protest an editorial about female cinematographers written by festival founder Marek Żydowicz which McQueen viewed as sexist. Żydowicz has since apologized.