Three years after the tragic on-set death of cinematographer Halina Hutchence, Alec Baldwin’s indie western will finally open to the public on Wednesday. The film has been selected to have its world premiere at the Cameraimage International Film Festival in Poland, a prestigious special event focused on achievements in cinematography. But screenings in the town of Turin have gotten off to a somewhat rocky start. Tickets for the premiere became available for festival attendees to claim through the event’s private ticketing system early Tuesday morning — and the website promptly crashed, presumably due to the surge in demand.
“The Cameraimage portal is currently undergoing system maintenance,” a message on the site read shortly after 8 a.m., when tickets became available. By about 8:35 p.m., some festival-goers were reporting that the system was working for them again.
Camerimage is known for its devoted following, drawing crowds packed with keynotes from the world’s greatest cinematographers that often overflow the cinema steps. But the interest surrounding the event is unprecedented. The film will be screened only once at the festival, and will feature a short panel discussion prior to the screening. Speakers at the premiere will include writer and director Joel Souza, who was shot by Hitchens in October 2021 for discharging a prop gun handled by Baldwin during production. during his student days at the American Film Institute, and Bianca Kline, the cinematographer who stepped in to finish the film. The film follows the settlement of a wrongful death case.
Camrimage’s screen decision caused some backlash in the industry. When the screening was announced a month ago, some DPs took to social media to argue that the move was done for publicity and in poor taste, as the work was created by them. Caused the death of a countryman. However, the festival has emphasized that the premiere was only meant to honor the work and wishes of Hitchens, a former Cameraimage collaborator, who had privately told her colleagues that she hoped His work will one day hit the screen there. Organizers also stated that Baldwin was deliberately not invited, as his presence at the event would likely cause a distraction.
The buzz on the ground in Camerimage’s early days — as guests shared hearsay accounts described by festival figures who have seen the film — is that the film’s cinematography is highly competent and a must-see. Given that the festival attracts hundreds of working DPs every year, the strong demand for premiere tickets only makes sense as a tribute to the craft.
Credit : www.hollywoodreporter.com
