‘Rust’ premieres at Polish film fest, Alec Baldwin not in attendance

More than three years after cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was shot dead on set, the western film “Rust” premiered Wednesday in Poland.

“Rust” made its debut at the EnergaCamerimage Festival in Torun, an event known for its focus on cinematography. Alec Baldwin, the film’s star and producer who was tried but cleared in Hutchins’ death, was not in attendance.

Tickets were reportedly hard to come by, with festival organizers announcing Tuesday night that their online system had crashed due to demand. The movie ended with a dedication to Hutchins, which drew significant applause. The screening also began with a moment of silence in her honor.

Hutchins was 42 years old when she was fatally shot on Oct. 21, 2021, on a set outside Santa Fe, N.M. Baldwin was pointing a Colt .45 revolver toward Hutchins when the gun fired a live round, killing Hutchins and wounding director Joel Souza.

Baldwin claimed he never pulled the trigger.

Earlier this year, involuntary manslaughter charges against Baldwin were tossed after a judge ruled prosecutors and police didn’t turn over evidence to Baldwin’s defense team. The film’s armorer, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, was convicted of involuntary manslaughter for mishandling live bullets on the set and sentenced to 18 months in prison.

The decision to continue production on the movie was hotly debated. A lawsuit by Hutchins’ husband and son led to a settlement in which they would receive some of the proceeds from the completed film.

Hutchins’ friend Rachel Mason, who was encouraged by Hutchins’ husband to make a documentary on the filming process, introduced the film Wednesday and called the people who completed it “heroic.”

Cinematographer Bianca Cline, who stepped in to complete production after Hutchins’ death, was also in attendance at the premiere. Festival organizers previously said she would discuss how she handled the project and “managed to remarkably replicate Halyna’s style.”

“Maintaining Hutchins’ artistic vision, as tremendously challenging as it was for the entire crew, was really important to the filmmakers, hoping to fulfill their duty to complete her work,” they said in early October.

However, Hutchins’ mother slammed the decision to release the film. She ripped Baldwin specifically, claiming he never apologized or took accountability for the shooting.

“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,” Olga Solovey said in a statement.

While “Rust” has been sold to some international distributors, it still has no release plan in the U.S.

With News Wire Services