Alec Baldwin was absent from today's "Rust" premiere, hanging out instead in NYC this week -- as the film's opening focused on honoring cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, who tragically lost her life on set of the movie in 2021.
Just days after Kazimierz Suwała, the director of the EnergaCAMERIMAGE Film Festival, explained they didn’t invite Baldwin in order to avoid distractions ... the premiere in Toruń, Poland, went down without a hitch Wednesday -- Baldwin-free and drama-free.
It’s unclear if Baldwin would’ve attended even if invited, but he certainly looked off the clock, spotted pushing a stroller in NYC Monday. Regardless, Suwała made it crystal clear to The Hollywood Reporter the event wasn’t about Baldwin at all -- it was all about honoring Halyna.
Sources familiar with the situation tell TMZ ... the festival was geared solely toward cinematographers. No actors were invited -- only "Rust" director Joel Souza and cinematographer Bianca Cline, who took over Halyna's role to finish the movie, represented the film at the event.
Honoring Halyna was exactly what happened Wednesday ... with Souza gushing in the theater about her -- admitting it wasn’t an easy decision, but he and Halyna's husband felt it was crucial for people to see her final work.
Bianca Cline told audience members moviegoers will get the chance to see the world through HH's point of view when they see the film.
Unfortunately, Halyna’s mom wasn't on the same page. She recently said Baldwin still hasn’t fully taken responsibility for her daughter’s death after he fired the loaded prop gun that killed her in 2021 -- and for that, she wasn't going to attend the premiere. The charges of involuntary manslaughter against Baldwin were dismissed in July.
Plenty of people were eager to see the film, with reports that the festival’s site actually crashed earlier this week when tickets for the movie went on sale.