TVOntario’s decision to withdraw support for the TIFF documentary, Russians At War

Sep 12, 2024

Canadian Journalists for Free Expression (CJFE) is concerned by the decision on the part of TVOntario’s Board of Directors to withdraw support for the Canadian documentary, Russians At War, now screening at the Toronto International Film Festival. CJFE is well aware of the dangers posed by Russian government propaganda, but presume that TVO did its due diligence before funding this film. The public broadcaster previously described the documentary as an “anti-war film,” and noted it was “unauthorized by Russian officials and was made at great personal risk to the filmmaker, who was under constant threat of arrest and incarceration for trying to tell an unofficial story.” If those assumptions have changed, it’s in the public interest to disclose what the TVO Board of Directors now knows. 

Otherwise, the Board’s decision Wednesday to withdraw support raises questions about editorial independence of Ontario’s publicly-funded broadcaster and invites allegations of political interference. At a time when journalism is vulnerable, not just abroad but in Canada and other democratic countries, CJFE calls on the TVO Directors to give a full explanation as to their concerns about the integrity of the film or its filmmakers.