Camerimage Festival Premiere Honors Fallen Cinematographer and Industry Safety

The poignant premiere of “Rust” at the Camerimage Festival is set to honor Halyna Hutchins and spotlight film safety.

At a Glance

“Rust” premieres at Camerimage Festival, honoring Halyna Hutchins.
The film will not feature the scene of Hutchins’ tragic accident.
Panel discussions will focus on film safety and women in cinematography.
Alec Baldwin will not attend the premiere.

Tribute to Halyna Hutchins

The film “Rust” will make its world premiere at Poland’s Camerimage International Film Festival, three years after a tragic on-set incident led to the untimely death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins. The event is scheduled for late November and is dedicated to celebrating Hutchins’ contributions to the film industry and her enduring legacy.

The festival aims to address vital topics such as on-set safety and the role of women in cinematography, areas where Hutchins was a pioneering figure. Matthew Hutchins, her widower, has taken on an executive producer role as part of a settlement with Alec Baldwin and other producers.

'Rust' to premiere at Poland film festival, followed by panel about Halyna Hutchins https://t.co/ynxTHpf5uR

— Los Angeles Times (@latimes) October 3, 2024

Panel Discussions and Festival Significance

A panel discussion at Camerimage will feature director Joel Souza, cinematographer Bianca Cline, and Hutchins’ mentor, Stephen Lighthill. They will explore Hutchins’s artistic style and the systemic challenges faced by female cinematographers in the film industry. The movie will exclude the contentious scene where the accident occurred, to ensure a respectful homage to Hutchins.

Festival director Marek Zydowicz highlighted the importance of this event in remembering Hutchins, stating that Camerimage has always been a place where she felt at home among fellow cinematographers.

'Rust' to premiere at Poland film festival, followed by panel about Halyna Hutchins https://t.co/ynxTHpf5uR

— Los Angeles Times (@latimes) October 3, 2024

Ongoing Impact and Reflection

Legal proceedings following Hutchins’s death led to an 18-month sentence for armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, while a manslaughter case against Baldwin was dismissed due to withheld evidence. Nonetheless, Baldwin will not attend the festival. The Camerimage Festival continues to be a fitting location to honor Hutchins, recognizing the safety changes needed in the industry.

“We knew that our event was important to [Hutchins], and that she felt at home among cinematographers from all over the world who have been gathering at Camerimage for over 30 years,” festival director Marek Zydowicz said in a statement.

Bianca Cline, who continued Hutchins’ work on “Rust,” will discuss her efforts in replicating Hutchins’s style, ensuring that her influence resonates throughout the film. The premiere of “Rust” at Camerimage is a fitting tribute to a talented and visionary artist whose work continues to inspire, as well as a reminder of the critical dialogue on safety it has prompted within the industry.