What happened at Toronto International Film Festival? Lil Nas X film premiere delayed due to bomb threat

The world premiere of Lil Nas X's documentary Lil Nas X: Long Live Montero at the Toronto International Film Festival was delayed as a bomb threat was called in on Saturday, September 9, 2023. The screening was scheduled to start at 10 pm at Roy Thomson Hall but began at approximately 10:30 pm.

Before the event began, the co-directors of the documentary, Carlos López Estrada and Zac Manuel, and editor, Andrew Morrow, walked the red carpet as the pop sensation's car arrived. However, as the singer was set to join the group, the organizers were informed that a bomb threat had been called in by an allegedly homoph*bic person. The individual reportedly targeted the singer for being a black queer artist, as per Variety.

Lil Nas was then asked to wait as security officials swept the venue.

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Lil Nas X arrived 20 minutes late after the bomb threat came to light

As the bomb threat interrupted the Toronto International Film Festival, security officials conducted a check and found that the threat was not credible. 20 minutes later, the Old Town Road singer walked the red carpet and the screening of his documentary began at 10:30 pm.

Before the official premiere of the documentary, Lil Nas X talked to Variety and said:

"I know in my lifetime, while I'm here, I'm going to do my best to make the ceiling unreachable to where we can go as Black queer people. And I mean unreachable as, like, it can go above and beyond."

He continued:

"I feel like we live in a generation where Black queer people really control culture, and they’re helping really take the world to the next level. And I think that’s going to have an effect on our youth watching us."

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More about Lil Nas X: Long Live Montero

A press release of the documentary gave fans a gist about what to expect from the title. Lil Nas X: Long Live Montero will see the popular artist navigating through aspects of his identity, expectations, family, and more. It will also see him reflecting on his place "within the legacy of Black, queer performers."

Toronto Film Festival CEO Cameron Bailey spoke about the Industry Baby singer's documentary and said:

"In this groundbreaking documentary, we witness the singer's challenging boundaries and reshaping the artistic landscape. The film’s captivating journey underscores the profound impact of Lil Nas X, who fearlessly brings audiences together through the universal language of music."

The documentary will focus on the life of the pop sensation on the road during the Long Live Montero Tour.