Tragic Alec Baldwin film ‘Rust’ finally readies its debut

“Rust,” the low-budget Western starring and executive produced by Alec Baldwin, will world premiere in the Polish city of Torún in mid-November, at the Camerimage Festival, which focuses specifically on cinematography. “Rust,” of course, has been mired in legal troubles for three years following the accident that killed its director of photography Halyna Hutchins during production in New Mexico.

The festival’s website announced that the premiere would include “a unique panel discussion with the film’s director Joel Souza, cinematographer Bianca Cline, and Stephen Lighthill, Halyna’s mentor from her beloved film school, AFI.” Hutchins, 42 at the time of her death, was a rising star in independent film, having worked on the well-received festival films “Archenemy” and “Darlin’.” 

The post-screening conversation will serve as something of a memorial to Hutchins, with the panelists discussing her inchoate style, as well as “a conversation about the role of women in cinematography and their contributions to the art of filmmaking” and the changes made to safety precautions on set following her death.

Hutchins died and Souza was injured when a prop gun fired while being handled by Baldwin during a camera rehearsal. Baldwin was cleared on involuntary manslaughter charges, while set armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed is currently serving an 18-month sentence on the same charge. First assistant director David Halls served a six-month probation sentence on the charge of negligent use of a deadly weapon. A civil lawsuit between the Hutchins family and the film’s producers was settled for an undisclosed sum. 

“Rust,” which Souza wrote and directed, co-stars Francis Fisher, Joel Hopkins, and Travis Fimmel alongside Baldwin. Baldwin also shares “story by” credit on the film with Souza. In it, Baldwin stars as an outlaw returning to the American West to rescue his 13-year-old nephew who has been sentenced to hang after—ironically enough—an accidental killing.

Other guests at this year’s Camerimage festival include Steve McQueen, bringing his awards contender “Blitz,” Christopher Nolan’s production designer Nathan Crowley, a six-time Oscar-nominee, and Italian cinematographer Gianfranco Rosi, both accepting awards. The medieval city of Torún, world famous for its gingerbread, is the birthplace of Nicolaus Copernicus, and, as such, leans into its stargazing heritage, boasting a planetarium of some renown and the largest radio telescope in Central Europe.