Whatever the final qualitative truth of the matter, Alliance Atlantis, the Canadian distributor of Todd Haynes‘ I’m Not There, is stirring suspicion among Toronto journalists that this impressionistic Bob Dylan dreamscape film is some kind of “problem case,” to hear it from a guy up there.

“Three advance TIFF screenings [of I’m Not There] have just been cancelled by Alliance Atlantis owing to ‘print availability,'” he reports, “which as you know is often code for, ‘We’re afraid to have critics see it early.'”

The first cancelled screening was due to happen tomorrow, 8.24, at 2 pm at the Cumberland Theatre. The other two — 8.27 at 10 am and 8.28 at 2 pm — were also set for the Cumberland.

“No word yet on when they’ll be rescheduled, if ever,” the Toronto guy says, “or whether everyone will have to wait until 9.11.07, which is when the first official TIFF press screening will happen, which is just a day before the first public screening. Right now it doesn’t look like they will be rescheduled.”