After three years of controversy, Alec Baldwin’s Rust finally gets a premiere date

Alec Baldwin’s film Rust will have its world premiere at the Camerimage Festival. This is a huge victory for the film, which faced a lot of backlash following the fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the film’s set in October 2021. Baldwin, the lead actor in the film, shot Hutchins when a prop gun misfired during filming, also injuring director Joel Souza.

According to Newsweek, Rust’s world premiere is scheduled for Poland’s Camerimage Festival, scheduled to take place November 16-23.

“Nearly three years after the tragic death of Halyna Hutchins, a Ukrainian cinematographer who was part of the festival family, Camerimage will honor her memory and remind the world of her legacy,” the festival’s press release announcing the film’s release was quoted as saying by Newsweek.

Bianca Cline, the cinematographer who replaced Hutchins last year, said the special screening will be all about honoring the cinematographer’s “beautiful” work.

Cline stated that the film was completed in memory of Hutchins because people should also appreciate her talent. She argued that once people saw the film they would realize why it needed to be completed. Cline went on to describe the film as a “really beautiful film” and continued to insist that it was Hutchins’ best work.

Speaking to PEOPLE, Cline revealed that both Olga Solovey, Hutchins’ mother, and Svetlana Zemko, her sister, supported the film’s sequel. She stated that they were highly motivated, particularly emphasizing that Hutchins’ mother was keen to complete the project as she knew how important it was to her daughter. When asked about the film, Cline described her excitement and said she could understand why Hutchins wanted to produce the film.

After the screening of “Rust,” Cline will conduct a question-and-answer session with director Souza and Stephen Lighthill, Hutchins’ mentor from the American Film Institute, according to the press release. They will “explore the unique visual style Halyna developed on set” and discuss how Cline, who continued Hutchins’ work, was able to emulate her.

Originally announced for release in 2022, the film experienced numerous setbacks and legal issues. Baldwin was charged with involuntary manslaughter, but was later acquitted of that charge in July 2023 due to prosecutorial misconduct. Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, the gunsmith who worked on the film, now faces an 18-month prison sentence for her role in the shooting.

Filming finally resumed in April 2023 at the Yellowstone Film Ranch in Montana, with new safety conditions put into practice to prevent similar incidents. Completion took place in late May 2023, with modifications made to ensure crew safety.