“Rust” cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was honored at an emotional gathering of top Hollywood women in honor of TheWrap’s Power Women Summit on Wednesday evening. The event also featured actresses Cynthia Erivo and Sarah Paulson, along with New York Attorney General Letitia James.
Her husband, Matthew Hutchins, was present for the moving tribute to his wife, who died after being shot by actor-producer Alec Baldwin with a prop gun on the set of indie Western film “Rust” on Oct. 21. The film’s director, Joel Souza, was also injured and hospitalized in the incident. The gun was later found to contain a live round; no charges have been filed in the case.
Matthew’s energy was felt by all who gathered in the ballroom at the London West Hollywood, where this singular group of women took a moment out of an evening of speeches and conversations to honor a young woman who was developing a reputation as a “rock star cinematographer” when her life was cut short by the accidental shooting.
American Film Institute Dean Susan Ruskin spoke eloquently about the loss of Hutchins, 43, and the films she might have made had she not lost her life in such a senseless mishap.
“Our community is rocked by the loss,” Ruskin said.
During a more upbeat moment, Paulson and Erivo participated in a Q&A and discussed the pressure actresses often face to accept “safe roles.”
“As a Black woman, you’re sort of required to do work that is good and safe. And, when you do, do work that is good and safe, it doesn’t really make anyone feel uncomfortable,” said Erivo who joined the conversation via video conference from London.
Paulson, who played Linda Tripp in the recently released “American Crime Story: Impeachment,” added that many questioned why she took on such a divisive role.
“It did hurt my feelings, partly because it felt, as often happens when you’re criticized for your work, or when you’re celebrated too… it’s very hard not to personalize,” Paulson said.
Still, the tribute to Hutchins dominated the evening. After speaking of the loss to the film community from Hutchins’ death, Ruskin called for a moment of silence. “It means a great deal to just sit in this moment, and to remember that we are all part of this community,” Ruskin said, noting that AFI is raising money in the cinematographer’s name. “And our hope is that (the scholarship fund) will support us to make sure that memory continues on.”
Ruskin also thanked Matthew Hutchins, who announced the formation of an American Film Institute (AFI) scholarship fund in his wife’s name shortly after her death. On Twitter, Matt asked “anyone seeking to honor her memory” to donate to the AFI’s Halyna Hutchins Scholarship Fund, which supports aspiring female cinematographers.
TheWrap has made a donation to the scholarship fund, and founder and editor in chief Sharon Waxman said the organization would offer an additional matching donation of up to $10,000 for pledges made by the attendees.
Born in Ukraine, Hutchins earned a degree in international journalism from Kyiv National University before moving to London to work on British documentary films. Later, she moved to Los Angeles and graduated from the American Film Institute in 2015, and was named a “rising star” by American Cinematographer magazine in 2019.
The criminal investigation into the “Rust” shooting continues. In his first major interview since the tragedy, actor and producer Alec Baldwin told ABC’s George Stephanopoulos that he did not pull the trigger on the prop gun.
“No no no. I would never point a gun at anyone and pull the trigger. Never,” an emotional Baldwin told ABC’s George Stephanopoulos in a clip released on Wednesday ahead of a primetime special set to air on Thursday.
