Pro-Palestinian protesters disrupt opening night of TIFF

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A group of pro-Palestinian demonstrators briefly disrupted the opening night screening of Ben Stiller’s Nutcrackers at the Toronto International Film Festival Thursday night to protest the Royal Bank of Canada, one of the festival’s major sponsors.

In videos shared to social media by New York Times reporter Kyle Buchanan, the agitators waved flashlights as they were seen carrying signs that read “RBC is killing our future” and “TIFF, cut ties with RBC” as they targeted the financial institution.

The group was also heard yelling at festival director Cameron Bailey and chanting “RBC funds genocide.”

“We’re here as film students outraged that TIFF is taking money from RBC (and is) complicit in settler genocide,” one disruptor screamed.

Another accused the bank of “funding the climate crisis.”

The protesters were quickly escorted out of the theatre and Buchanan said that the audience was not receptive to their message, noting, “The crowd is extremely hostile, shouting back ‘go away’ and booing them.”

“You said your piece, and now we would like to start the festival,” Bailey said.

In a statement shared with The Hollywood Reporter, the group doubled down, accusing RBC of funding “globally recognized war crimes.”

“In an act of solidarity with those fighting to address the climate emergency, as well as end the war in Gaza, and support Indigenous sovereignty, filmmakers and film students disrupted Nutcrackers,” the protesters said. “RBC’s ongoing investments devastate the environment, trample Indigenous rights, and contribute to globally recognized war crimes. TIFF’s continued partnership with the bank enables and legitimizes these destructive actions.”

The demonstrators also called for an end to the violence in Gaza.

In a post on X, organizers of the campaign calledRBC Off Screen shared footage of the hecklers saying that the group tried to ruin the opening night “due to the festival’s complicity in climate chaos and genocide.”

In a follow-up message, the organization called RBC a “toxic sponsor” and said the bank “has no place in the arts.”

“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. Protesters targeting corporate sponsors are shifting attention from the work of artists and weakening support for essential arts and cultural programs,” RBC said in a statement shared with Postmedia. “Protesters targeting corporate sponsors are shifting attention from the work of artists and weakening support for essential arts and cultural programs.”

The bank added, “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 Postmedia’s request for comment.

Last year, a group of Canadian filmmakers and Hollywood A-listers asked the festival to cut sponsorship ties with RBC because of the bank’s funding of the oil and gas industry.

Signatories to RBC Off Screen’s campaign included names like Leonardo DiCaprio, Mark Ruffalo, Rachel McAdams, Jeremy Strong and Joaquin Phoenix.

“It’s time that organizations like TIFF actually step up to the plate and help us,” Ruffalo said in an Instagram message at the time. “They use our work to push their festival; it’s a film festival, not a bank festival … We need organizations like TIFF to step up to the plate.”

“We appreciate this being brought to our attention by members of our filmmaking community,” TIFF VP Public Relations & Communications Judy Lung said in response. “We are committed to environmental sustainability and recognize the importance of addressing climate change quickly and collaboratively. We are in active discussions with RBC and welcome their openness to engaging in dialogue as a first step.”

The Toronto International Film Festival runs until Sept. 15.

mdaniell@postmedia.com