Alec Baldwin's Rust Will Premiere at Camerimage Festival (Without Baldwin)

Three years after the tragic death on the set of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, Alec Baldwin's independent western Rust will finally be revealed to the public. The film has been selected to have its world premiere in late November at the Camerimage International Film Festival in Poland, a specialized and respected event focused on achievement in cinematography. The festival said Thursday that it plans to hold a panel discussion afterward Rustit is the first screening to honor Hutchins' memory.

Among the speakers at the premiere there will be Rust writer-director Joel Souza, who was hit by the same bullet that killed Hutchens when a gun handled by Baldwin was discharged during production in October 2021. Joining the director will be Stephen Lighthill, Huchin's mentor from his days as a student at the American Film Institute and Bianca Cline, the cinematographer who stepped in to finish the film after a wrongful death lawsuit had been settled.

“The filmmakers will discuss events surrounding the film, offering insight into the continuation of production after Halyna's death,” organizers Camerimage say. “Maintaining Hutchins' artistic vision, as tremendously challenging as it was for the entire crew, was truly important to the filmmakers, who hoped to fulfill their duty to complete his work.”

According to an outside source familiar with the situation, Baldwin will not be present at the premiere, although he is both the star and lead producer, having once described the film as a “passion project.” It is currently unclear whether the other protagonists of the film – Travis Fimmel, Frances Fisher, Josh Hopkins and Patrick Scott McDermott – will be present.

“Halyna's story will serve as a starting point for a conversation about the role of women in filmmaking and their contributions to the art of filmmaking,” Cameraimage said in its statement, adding: “Another key topic of discussion will be safety on the set.”

The tragedy that occurred RustNew Mexico's 2021 set was followed by years of intense media scrutiny, legal disputes and various episodes of public acrimony. Hutchins' family settled their wrongful death lawsuit with the production in October 2022, which ultimately allowed filming to continue. But criminal charges also followed: RusFilm gunsmith Hannah Gutierrez-Reed was found guilty of manslaughter and sentenced to 18 months in prison, while first assistant director Dave Halls took a plea deal for negligence with a deadly weapon. Baldwin was charged with involuntary manslaughter, but his case ended in an abrupt dismissal in July. Last week, Gutierrez-Reed lost a bid to have his sentence reconsidered.

Screening Rust at Camerimage was known to be Hutchins' dream for the project, according to the festival. During the early stages of filming, he reportedly spoke to Souza about the event and convinced him to try to show their film there. Cameraimage describes Hutchins as a “Ukrainian cinematographer who was part of the festival family.”

Rust tells the story of a 13-year-old boy (Patrick Scott McDermott) who is left to fend for himself and his younger brother after the death of his parents in 1880s Wyoming. The boy then runs away with his long-estranged grandfather (Baldwin) after the old man was sentenced to hang for the accidental killing of a local rancher.

The projection of Rust will add an emotionally charged moment to what is already shaping up to be a strong edition of Poland's pioneering film festival. This year's 32nd edition will open with Steve McQueen's World War II epic Blitzwhile Cate Blanchett will chair the main jury of the competition and Shogun star Hiroyuki Sanada will receive a special television honor. Over the years, Camerimage has hosted and celebrated dozens of prominent directors, names such as Alfonso Cuarón, Ang Lee, Ken Loach, David Lynch, Quentin Tarantino, Denis Villeneuve, Andrzej Wajda, Peter Weir and Wim Wenders, among many others.

Camerimage 2024 will take place from 16 to 23 November in the UNESCO World Heritage city of Toruń, Poland. The full festival program will be revealed in early November.