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Oakville Theatre Halts South Asian Screenings After Arson Attempt and Pre-Dawn Shooting

The exhibitor links the violence to disputes in South Asian film distribution.

Overview

  • Halton Regional Police say a Sept. 25 attempted arson and an Oct. 2 pre-dawn shooting targeted Film.ca Cinemas in Oakville, with both incidents occurring while the venue was closed and no injuries reported.
  • Film.ca cancelled upcoming showings of Kantara: A Legend Chapter 1 and They Call Him OG and suspended all future South Asian titles indefinitely, while keeping other operations open.
  • Police released suspect details for both cases, including two masked individuals carrying red fuel cans in the arson and a lone gunman described as a dark‑skinned male with a heavy build in the shooting.
  • CCTV shared by the theatre shows suspects pouring a flammable liquid at the entrance and vehicles circling the parking lot before the fire, as investigators seek tips from the public and Crime Stoppers.
  • Other exhibitors, including York Cinemas, paused Indian film screenings, and reporting notes earlier similar incidents in the GTA and British Columbia alongside industry allegations of market‑control intimidation.