The Mongolian herders featured in the documentary The Wolves Always Come At Night have been denied visitor visas by the Canadian government, putting their attendance at the film’s September 9th premiere at the Toronto Film Festival (TIFF) in jeopardy. Despite efforts by the film’s producers and TIFF organizers, Davaasuren Dagvasuren and Otgonzaya Dashzeveg, who are the subjects and co-writers of the film, still need to secure the necessary approvals to travel.

The visa denial has sparked criticism from the documentary’s producer, Rita Walsh, who described the process as “so blatantly unfair.” Walsh contrasted her swift approval with the lengthy ordeal faced by the Mongolian team, noting, “What took me 30 seconds online for my approval was a two-month-plus process for our Mongolian team, and they still didn’t get approved.”

The film, directed by Gabrielle Brady, tells the story of Dagvasuren and Dashzeveg, a young couple forced to leave their home in the Mongolian countryside after a climate change-induced storm. The couple’s initial visa applications, submitted on August 19, were refused because they had not proven they would leave Canada. The producers argued that the couple has children in Mongolia and their travel costs have been covered, but their appeal has yet to receive a response from Canadian authorities.

Meanwhile, a third application for Dorjpagma Dugar, a Mongolian film producer, has been approved but is awaiting a final stamp from the Canadian visa office in Hong Kong. As the clock ticks down to the world premiere at TIFF Lightbox, efforts continue to ensure at least one representative from Mongolia can attend.

With a second public screening scheduled for September 11th, there remains hope that the herders may still make it to Toronto, should last-minute appeals prove successful.