The Toronto International Film Festival abolished its invitation that screena canadian filmmaker Barry Avrich’s “The Road Between US: The Ultimate Rescue” documentary on the Hamas attacks on October 7 in Israel, according to media reports.
“The invitation to the Canadian documentary” The Road Between US: The Ultimate Rescue “was withdrawn by TIFF because general requirements for inclusion in the festival, and conditions requested when the film originally invited, was not met, including legal approval of all pictures,” TIFF said in a Wednesday explanation to Screen daily.
“The purpose of the requested conditions was to protect TIFF from legal consequences and to allow TIFF to manage and mitigate expected and known risks surrounding the screening of a movie about very sensitive topic, including potential threat of significant disruptions,” continued the statement. “According to our conditions for participation in the festival, TIFF can disqualify from participation in the festival any film that TIFF decides in its only and absolute discretion would not be in TIFF’s best interest to include in the festival.”
“The road between us” was especially not in Initial 2025 Documentary Line-Up For next month’s festival. The film follows retired Israel Defense Force’s General Noam Tibon when he tries to save his two grandchildren from the terrorist attacks in 2023, which helps several survivors of the Nova Music Festival massacre and wounded IDF soldiers during the process.
“We are shocked and saddened that a valuable film festival has defied its mission and censored its own programming by refusing this film,” the filmmakers told Deadline On Tuesday. “In the end, film is an art form that stimulates debate from all perspectives that can both entertain us and make us uncomfortable. A film festival posts the party and the audience decides what they come or will not see. We are not political filmmakers, nor are we activists; we are stories.
In response, the creative society for peace issued the following statement and urged TIFF to reverse its decision:
“The Toronto International Film Festival’s decision to draw” the way between us: the ultimate rescue “from this year’s festival is deeply disturbing. They choose to censor a Jewish story of survival and trying to erase the experiences of survivors of the worst attack on Jews since the Holocaust.”
“This decision is part of a growing trend in silencing Jewish and Israeli voices under the excuse for“ security problems. “Instead of standing up against violent threats and protecting filmmakers, TIFF rewards those who threaten their lives believe they are” clearance “to bow to Hamas movies.
“By silencing this film, TIFF abandon artistic freedom and sends the chilly message that some victims stories mean more than others. We urge TIFF to reverse their decision and stand for the principles that it claims to maintain: artistic freedom, courage and the right for each story to be told.”
Thewrap has reached TIFF for further comments.
The Toronto International Film Festival 2025 will be run September 4-14.
