A Canadian theatre, screening Kantara: A Legend Chapter 1 and They call him OG, had to halt several of its showings after it became the target of both an arson attack and an attempted shooting within a week. The Film.ca cinemas in Oakville, Ontario, became a target of an attempted arson on September 25.
Two suspects were seen on CCTV footage attempting to set fire to the theatre’s entrance using red gas cans. The footage also showed that a grey SUV circled the parking lot before a white vehicle arrived. The cinema was closed during the attack, and no one was injured. Halton Regional Police said that the fire was set to the exterior and caused moderate damage without spreading inside the building.
The suspects were described as a white person wearing black pants, a black hoodie, dark-coloured high-top shoes, gloves, and a medical mask. The second suspect was described as wearing black pants, a black hoodie, white slip-on sandals, white socks, gloves, and a medical mask, and was carrying a cell phone.
The police said that a week after the arson attack on October 2, a suspect was seen approaching the entrance of the cinema and firing a handgun multiple times through the doors.
The suspect was described as a dark-skinned male with a heavy build, wearing all-black clothing and a black face mask. Both incidents occurred after overnight hours.
Authorities say that both attacks are linked to the showings of South Asian films and were targeted.
Film.ca cinemas shared the footage of the arson attempt on social media and said that this was not the first attack they’ve faced. In a statement, the theatre said, “We’ve faced vandalism and threats tied to the screening of Indian films before.”
They said they had to make the difficult decision to pull the screening of the films for the safety of the guests. “Out of an abundance of caution, we have made the decision that the safety of guests and our cast requires us to withdraw ourselves from screenings of Kantara: A Legend Chapter 1, They Call Him OG, and all future South Asian films indefinitely,” they said.
“We understand that these incidents may be connected to disagreements within the South Asian film industry. While we want to be clear that we do not wish to bow to threats, the situation has escalated to the point where we must take every precaution to protect our community,” the statement continued.
Film.ca CEO Jeff Knoll said in a post on X, “The other day, somebody tried to burn the theatre down in a dispute with respect to us playing South Asian films.” “I want to let you know that we are open for business. We didn’t miss a show, and we just want you to feel safe and comfortable coming back to the movies,” he said.
He also added that the cinema was a community theatre and that “we’re going to play what we want to play, when we want to play it.”
Sources reported that the attacks may be linked to Khalistani extremist activities in the area, but police have not confirmed the motive for the incidents.
Authorities have asked anyone with information to come forward and report to Halton police.
