TIFF pulls documentary on 2023 Hamas attack from festival lineup, citing footage rights issue
Organizers for the festival acknowledged Tuesday that they withdrew Canadian filmmaker Barry Avrich's 'The Road Between Us: The Ultimate Rescue' after initially offering the film a spot in the upcoming edition of TIFF. The film chronicles the story of retired Israeli Gen. Noam Tibon, whose efforts to save his family and others during the Oct. 7, 2023 attack was profiled in a '60 Minutes' segment.
Representatives for the festival said in a statement that the film's invitation 'was withdrawn by TIFF because general requirements for inclusion in the festival, and conditions that were requested when the film was initially invited, were not met, including legal clearance of all footage.'
'The purpose of the requested conditions was to protect TIFF from legal implications and to allow TIFF to manage and mitigate anticipated and known risks around the screening of a film about highly sensitive subject matter, including potential threat of significant disruption,' the festival said.
The filmmakers, though, say the festival is engaging in 'censorship' by denying the film a place in the festival.
'We are shocked and saddened that a venerable film festival has defied its mission and censored its own programming by refusing this film," the filmmaking team said in a statement. 'Ultimately, film is an art form that stimulates debate from every perspective that can both entertain us and make us uncomfortable.'
Deadline, which first reported the news, reported that a sticking point related to the identification and legal clearance of Hamas militants' own livestreaming of the attack.
Festival organizers didn't respond to requests for further comment Wednesday.
The filmmakers pledged to release the film regardless: 'We invite audiences, broadcasters and streamers to make up their own mind, once they have seen it.'
The Toronto International Film Festival has sometimes prompted headlines over its selections. Last year, it canceled screenings of 'Russians at War,' a documentary about Russian soldiers in the war with Ukraine. Protesters in Toronto called the film Russian propaganda. After the festival paused screenings due to 'significant threats,' 'Russians at War' was quietly screened toward the end of the festival.
The 50th Toronto International Film Festival runs Sept. 4–14.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Finextra
16 minutes ago
- Finextra
Fintech CEOs call on Trump to block banks from imposing 'account access' fees
The CEOs of more than 80 firms in the open banking sphere have written to President Donald Trump calling on him to prevent banks from charging fees to access consumer data. 0 Last October, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) published the Personal Financial Data Rights final rule, giving Americans the right to instruct their banks to share their financial data with third party providers. But, under the new administration's leadership, in May the CFPB moved to have the rule rescinded in a decision that the Financial Technology Association (FTA) described as a "handout to Wall Street banks". Since then, it has emerged that JP Morgan is planning to impose fees on companies wanting to access its clients' bank account data and has gone so far as sending pricing sheets to data aggregators - the intermediaries that link banks and fintechs. In the letter to Trump, made public by the FTA, the open banking CEOS say: "Large banks are taking aggressive action to preserve their market position by imposing exorbitant new 'account access' fees that would prevent consumers from connecting their accounts to better financial products of their choice. "This access is critical to ensuring Americans have control of their own financial lives in a digital economy." The move would undermine consumer choice, "which you vigorously supported during your first Administration," says the letter, adding that if the large banks are successful, it will choke off access to the finances of consumers and businesses, effectively killing competition. The CEOs - from the likes of Brex, Chime, Klarna, Plaid and Sofi - also argue that such a move would cripple innovation in crypto, AI and digital wallets and payments. "We urge you to use the full power of your office and the broader Administration to prevent the largest institutions from raising new barriers to financial freedom," they write.
The Independent
17 minutes ago
- The Independent
Supreme Court allows enforcement of Mississippi social media age verification law
The Supreme Court on Thursday refused to block enforcement of a Mississippi law aimed at regulating the use of social media by children, an issue of growing national concern. The justices rejected an emergency appeal from a tech industry group that is challenging laws passed in Mississippi and other states that require social media users to verify their ages. NetChoice, which brought the lawsuit, argues the Mississippi law threatens privacy rights and unconstitutionally restricts the free expression of users of all ages.
The Guardian
18 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Alleged DC sandwich-thrower worked at justice department, attorney general says
The US attorney general, Pam Bondi, announced on Thursday that the man facing a felony assault charge for allegedly throwing a sandwich at a federal law enforcement officer in Washington DC worked at the Department of Justice. In a statement posted on social media, Bondi said that the man, identified in court documents as 37-year-old Sean Charles Dunn, has since been fired. 'If you touch any law enforcement officer, we will come after you. I just learned that this defendant worked at the Department of Justice – NO LONGER. Not only is he FIRED, he has been charged with a felony,' Bondi wrote. 'This is an example of the Deep State we have been up against for seven months as we work to refocus DOJ. You will NOT work in this administration while disrespecting our government and law enforcement.' Dunn served as an international affairs specialist in the criminal division of the office of international affairs at the Department of Justice, according to CNN. On Wednesday night, the FBI director, Kash Patel, said that Dunn had been charged with felony assault on a federal officer. In court documents, authorities say that the incident occurred on Sunday night on 14th Street in north-west DC. They say that Dunn approached and confronted a group of US Customs and Border protection officers who were patrolling the area. Authorities claim that Dunn pointed his finger in an officer's face and yelled, 'Fuck you! You fucking fascists! Why are you here? I don't want you in my city,' before 'winding his arm back and forcefully throwing sub-style sandwich' at an officer. Authorities said that Dunn then attempted to flee on foot but was apprehended. During processing, authorities say that Dunn confessed to the incident and told the officers, 'I did it. I threw a sandwich,' according to court documents. The incident was captured on video, which has since gone viral. In the footage, a man can be seen yelling 'You see these fascists? Fuck you!' and 'Shame!' at a group of officers patrolling the area before throwing a wrapped sub-style sandwich at one of them. He is then chased by the officers. The US attorney for the District of Columbia, Jeanine Pirro, who was recently confirmed to the position, announced the charges against Dunn on Wednesday. 'This guy thought it was funny – well, he doesn't think it's funny today, because we charged him with a felony,' the former Fox News host said. The incident came several days after Donald Trump ordered federal officers to start sweeping the streets of Washington DC, in what the White House said was part of an effort to crack down on violent crime, despite statistics showing that the city's violent crime rate hit a 30-year low in 2024. On Monday, one day after the sandwich incident, Trump announced that he was deploying the national guard in Washington DC and seizing control of the city's police force. National guard troops began deploying across the city on Tuesday night.
