The premiere of “Lil Nas X: Long Live Montero” at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) faced a brief delay on Saturday night due to a bomb threat. Judy Lung, the festival’s vice-president of public affairs and communications, confirmed this incident to CTV News Toronto in a written statement, emphasizing that TIFF was aware of the situation “in the vicinity of the red carpet” at Roy Thomson Hall.
Lung explained, “Our standard security measures remained in place during this time and the screening commenced with a slight delay. To our knowledge, this was a general threat and not directed at the film or the artist.”
A spokesperson for the Toronto Police also provided details, indicating that the threat had been made to the festival’s private security by a passerby. Const. Victor Kwong stated, “Out of an abundance of caution, the Toronto Police and the private security swept the scene and cleared within 20 minutes.” He further emphasized that the threat was of a general nature and did not specifically target anyone.
Despite the unsettling interruption, the documentary screening ultimately proceeded, and the festival maintained its commitment to security protocols and the safety of all attendees.
