Written by Jake Coyle
NEW YORK (AP) After a backlash against the film’s exclusion from the Toronto International Film Festival, the festival will finally screen a documentary about the 2023 Hamas attack.
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TIFF canceled its invitation to the movie The Road Between Us: The Ultimate Rescue earlier this week. The festival stated that legal approval for the documentary’s footage was a contributing factor in the decision. A sticking point, according to Deadline, which broke the story first, was identifying and obtaining legal approval for Hamas’ livestreaming of the attack.
The Road Between Us director Barry Avrich and TIFF CEO Cameron Bailey jointly announced the film’s selection in a statement Thursday night.
Bailey and Avrich stated, “We want to address this together because TIFF and the filmmakers have heard the pain and frustration expressed by the public.” Together, we have come up with a solution to address significant programming, safety, and legal issues.
We are sorry, they added, that TIFF’s communication regarding its requirements in this instance did not adequately express the issues and obstacles that surfaced.
The movie tells the narrative of former Israeli General Noam Tibon, who was featured in a 60 Minutes broadcast for his efforts to save his family and others during the Oct. 7, 2023 attack.
The filmmakers of Road Between Us released a statement after learning that the film will not be screened at the festival, alleging that TIFF suppressed its own programming by rejecting the film.
Bailey denied the accusation and insisted that tact was required given the circumstances.
We are deeply troubled by the events of October 7, 2023, and the continued suffering in Gaza, which emphasizes the critical need for compassion in the face of growing Islamophobia and antisemitism, Bailey stated on Wednesday.
The largest film festival in North America, the Toronto International Film Festival, begins on September 4–14.
