A beloved movie theatre in Oakville has released a shocking video of an attempted arson, which shows two individuals deliberately setting its entrance on fire.
The incident occurred outside of Film.Ca Cinemas before 5:30 a.m. on Thursday, where two suspects were seen approaching the cinema, according to Halton Regional Police Service. The video shows the pair emptying gasoline and then igniting a fire at the front doors of the building.
🚨 Cowardly Attack Fails: https://t.co/9TNzgavfeD Cinemas Remains Open and United 🚨
— Film.Ca Cinemas (@FilmCaCinemas) September 25, 2025
In the early hours of September 25, https://t.co/9TNzgavfeD Cinemas was the target of an attempted arson. Thankfully, no one was on site, and our theatre remains fully open and safe for guests.… pic.twitter.com/OL6BpkzOH7
Police told Now Toronto on Friday that no injuries were reported, and the fire was contained before it could cause further damage. A full assessment of the property is underway, and a damage estimate has yet to be determined.
Security footage captured detailed images of the two suspects. Police described the first suspect as white, wearing black pants, a black hoodie, dark-coloured high-top shoes, gloves, and a medical mask. The second suspect wore black pants, a black hoodie, white slip-on sandals with white socks, gloves, and a medical mask. Both were carrying red gas cans; one also held a cellphone.
A white SUV was observed on-site at the time of the fire, police said. Investigators also noted a second suspicious grey SUV was caught on security video making three separate visits to the parking lot earlier that morning between 2 a.m. and 3 a.m.
This is not the first time Film.Ca Cinemas has been targeted, according to the theatre’s social media account, adding that there have been past incidents of vandalism and threats linked to the screening of Indian films. At the time of Thursday’s attempted arson, the cinema was showing the Telugu-language action film They Call Him OG.
“While these repeated acts are troubling, they will never deter us from providing a safe and welcoming place for our community to enjoy cinema together,” Film.Ca wrote in an Instagram post.
Despite the attack, the theatre remains open to the public and fully operational, with all scheduled screenings, including They Call Him OG, continuing as planned.
“We will not be intimidated by cowardly acts of violence,” the theatre’s CEO Jeff Knoll said in a statement. “Film.Ca is a place for families, friends, and our community to come together — and that will never change.”
Police say the investigation into the arson and possible motives is ongoing.
This incident is not the first time a movie theatre in the Greater Toronto Hamilton Area faced an arson attack. In November 2024, a theatre in Richmond Hill was the site of an arson, just months after a series of three drive-by shootings.
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Anyone with information is asked to contact the 2 District Criminal Investigations Bureau at 905-825-4777 ext. 2216. Anonymous tips can be submitted to Crime Stoppers by calling 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or visiting www.haltoncrimestoppers.ca.
