Shootings spark fears of film house turf war

Industry experts believe organized crime elements may be trying to control where South Indian films are shown

- JOSHUA CHONG

York Regional Police identified this silver 2019 Dodge Ram pickup as a suspect vehicle involved in four drive-by shootings at GTA cinemas in January.

It was hours before sunrise in late January, when a silver pickup truck pulled up to York Cinemas, a movie theatre in Richmond Hill that specializes in Indian films. Gunfire erupted from the vehicle, blasting through the main entrance, as captured by video surveillance footage from an adjacent building that was released by police. The suspects then fled into the night, as quickly as they arrived.

Later that morning, an employee arriving for work stumbled upon the debris. At three other movie theatres across the Greater Toronto Area, similar drive-by shootings were also reported, with shattered windows and damaged entrances littered with broken glass.

For some, the Jan. 24 incidents initially appeared to be random acts of violence. But film industry experts and members of the South Indian diaspora believe the driveby shootings are the work of organized crime, whose players want to control the market of South Indian language films by intimidating exhibitors and distributors, thereby limiting screenings to favoured independent venues.

The violence, which has cast a chill over the Tamil, Telugu and Malayalee communities, also highlights the stakes involved in the lucrative international film sector — from regional and global distributors to foreign-language indie theatres and large cinema chains.

There were no reported injuries as a result of the four Jan. 24 shootings, which York Regional Police say they believe were perpetrated by the same suspects using the same vehicle. Investigators added that “due to their similarities” the shootings were likely targeted.