Latest news with #NoamTibon
Calgary Herald
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Calgary Herald
TIFF reverses course, announces it will now screen controversial October 7 film
After two days of intense controversy, the Toronto International Film Festival has not only reversed its decision to disinvite an October 7 documentary, but has made it an official festival selection. Article content Earlier this week, the festival outraged the filmmakers and Jewish groups when it rescinded an invitation for The Road Between Us: The Ultimate Rescue to screen at this year's festival, which kicks off Sept. 4. Article content Article content Article content Please see the following statement from TIFF and the Filmmaker regarding The Road Between Us: The Ultimate Rescue. — TIFF (@TIFF_NET) August 15, 2025 Article content Article content The film, produced by Melbar Entertainment Group and directed by Avrich, a Canadian, tells the story of retired Israel Defence Forces Gen. Noam Tibon, who raced from Tel Aviv to Kibbutz Nahal Oz near Gaza on October 7 to save his son Amir's family. Article content Article content TIFF had originally said the filmmakers did not secure 'legal clearance of all footage,' which was among the conditions the festival requested to mitigate 'known risks around the screening of a film about highly sensitive subject matter, including potential threat of significant disruption.' Article content The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs said in a statement Thursday that TIFF 'ultimately made the right call.' Article content 'Tens of thousands of Canadians — including civic leaders, elected officials, artists and people from all backgrounds—spoke out against TIFF's shameful decision to cave to extremist pressure. Their voices were heard,' CIJA said. 'Let's make it the most-watched film at TIFF and, eventually, on screens across the country. Everyone needs to see the real cost of unchecked extremism—and the bravery of those who stand in defence of human life and our shared values.'
Edmonton Journal
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Edmonton Journal
TIFF reverses course, announces it will now screen controversial October 7 film
After two days of intense controversy, the Toronto International Film Festival has not only reversed its decision to disinvite an October 7 documentary, but has made it an official festival selection. Article content Earlier this week, the festival outraged the filmmakers and Jewish groups when it rescinded an invitation for The Road Between Us: The Ultimate Rescue to screen at this year's festival, which kicks off Sept. 4. Article content Article content Article content '(The film) will be an official TIFF selection at the festival this year, where we believe it will contribute to the vital conversations that film is meant to inspire,' the festival said. Article content Please see the following statement from TIFF and the Filmmaker regarding The Road Between Us: The Ultimate Rescue. — TIFF (@TIFF_NET) August 15, 2025 Article content Article content The film, produced by Melbar Entertainment Group and directed by Avrich, a Canadian, tells the story of retired Israel Defence Forces Gen. Noam Tibon, who raced from Tel Aviv to Kibbutz Nahal Oz near Gaza on October 7 to save his son Amir's family. Article content Article content TIFF had originally said the filmmakers did not secure 'legal clearance of all footage,' which was among the conditions the festival requested to mitigate 'known risks around the screening of a film about highly sensitive subject matter, including potential threat of significant disruption.' Article content The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs said in a statement Thursday that TIFF 'ultimately made the right call.' Article content 'Tens of thousands of Canadians — including civic leaders, elected officials, artists and people from all backgrounds—spoke out against TIFF's shameful decision to cave to extremist pressure. Their voices were heard,' CIJA said. 'Let's make it the most-watched film at TIFF and, eventually, on screens across the country. Everyone needs to see the real cost of unchecked extremism—and the bravery of those who stand in defence of human life and our shared values.'
Ottawa Citizen
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Ottawa Citizen
TIFF reverses course, announces it will now screen controversial October 7 film
After two days of intense controversy, the Toronto International Film Festival has not only reversed its decision to disinvite an October 7 documentary, but has made it an official festival selection. Article content Earlier this week, the festival outraged the filmmakers and Jewish groups when it rescinded an invitation for The Road Between Us: The Ultimate Rescue to screen at this year's festival, which kicks off Sept. 4. Article content Article content Article content '(The film) will be an official TIFF selection at the festival this year, where we believe it will contribute to the vital conversations that film is meant to inspire,' the festival said. Article content Please see the following statement from TIFF and the Filmmaker regarding The Road Between Us: The Ultimate Rescue. — TIFF (@TIFF_NET) August 15, 2025 Article content Article content The film, produced by Melbar Entertainment Group and directed by Avrich, a Canadian, tells the story of retired Israel Defence Forces Gen. Noam Tibon, who raced from Tel Aviv to Kibbutz Nahal Oz near Gaza on October 7 to save his son Amir's family. Article content Article content TIFF had originally said the filmmakers did not secure 'legal clearance of all footage,' which was among the conditions the festival requested to mitigate 'known risks around the screening of a film about highly sensitive subject matter, including potential threat of significant disruption.' Article content The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs said in a statement Thursday that TIFF 'ultimately made the right call.' Article content 'Tens of thousands of Canadians — including civic leaders, elected officials, artists and people from all backgrounds—spoke out against TIFF's shameful decision to cave to extremist pressure. Their voices were heard,' CIJA said. 'Let's make it the most-watched film at TIFF and, eventually, on screens across the country. Everyone needs to see the real cost of unchecked extremism—and the bravery of those who stand in defence of human life and our shared values.'
New York Post
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Craven and dishonest: Behind the Toronto bid to censor an Oct. 7 documentary
The folks in charge of the Toronto International Film Festival now claim they were never going to prevent the screening of a documentary that tells the truth about Hamas' horrific Oct. 7, 2023, terror attacks — but the disclaimers are so hedged (and dishonest) that you still can't be sure the show will go on. First and foremost is the absurd excuse that TIFF's lawyers supposedly thought the filmmaker needed 'legal clearance' to use clips of the savagery as filmed and livestreamed by the terrorists on their GoPros. That is, permission from Hamas to use footage of the terrorists mauling women and slaughtering innocents. Nonsense: Several other movies have already used such footage; one of them, 'We Will Dance Again,' won an Emmy in June! Rather, this was obviously a wormy way to get out of showing Canadian director Barry Avrich's 'The Road Between Us: The Ultimate Rescue,' which shows how retired Israeli Gen. Noam Tibon rescued his family and other survivors of the Oct. 7 attacks. Because the truth might make viewers more sympathetic to Israel. Of course the TIFF folks carefully didn't complain about that, though they did say the risk of protests against the movie might also make it impossible to show. (We've also heard suggestions that festival staff were threatening to walk off the job if the documentary wasn't scrubbed.) Sorry: Admitting you'll censor in the face of such threats makes a mockery of TIFF's vow that 'we will defend artistic excellence and artistic freedom.' And falling back on spurious worries about terrorists' intellectual-property rights is still blatantly knuckling under to the hecklers' veto. Cameron Bailey, the TIFF CEO, denies 'censorship' was ever in play, claims he's 'committed' to showing the film and has his legal team 'considering all options available' to somehow show it after all. We understand not wanting to admit that Israel-haters are running the show at your festival, but Bailey's careful hedging shows that he's not even certain he can defy the antisemites' wishes.
Daily Mail
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Toronto film festival's embarrassing groveling after refusing to show Oct. 7 massacre movie for fear of upsetting Hamas
The CEO of the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) issued a groveling apology after he refused to show a documentary on the October 7 massacre over fears it would upset Hamas. The festival was set to show 'The Road Between Us: The Ultimate Rescue', directed by Barry Avrich, which follows the story of retired IDF general Noam Tibon during and after the attack that saw around 1,200 people killed and 251 taken hostage. But, on Wednesday TIFF announced it was pulling the film because Hamas did not give organizers permission to use bodycam footage shot by terrorists, according to Israeli media. In response, Israel 's Foreign Minister, Gideon Sa'ar, slammed the organizers, and likened their decision to cancel the movie due to a lack of Hamas 'clearance' to asking for Adolf Hitler's approval for Auschwitz footage, reported i24NEWS. After controversy unfolded about the announcement, TIFF CEO Cameron Bailey issued an apology stating that 'claims that the film was rejected due to censorship are unequivocally false.' The Canadian film critic added he was trying to find a way to show the film after all and that it was 'never my intention to offend or alienate anyone...' 'Given the sensitive and significant nature of the film's subject, I believe that it tells an important story and contributes to the rich tapestry of perspectives in our lineup – stories that resonate both here at home and around the world. 'I want to be clear: claims that the film was rejected due to censorship are unequivocally false. 'I remain committed to working with the filmmaker to meet TIFF's screening requirements to allow the film to be screened at this year's festival. I have asked our legal team to work with the filmmaker on considering all options available,' he added. The festival had originally approved the film, which follows Tibon on his mission to save his son, his wife and two daughters who were attacked by Hamas-led terrorists at their home on Kibbutz Nahal Oz on October 7. The documentary uses bodycam footage filmed by the terrorists themselves during the massacre, which was the single deadliest day in Jewish history since the Holocaust. The film was pulled by TIFF due to the prospect of disruptive anti-Israel protests at the festival, which will run from September 4-14, as well as concerns about copyright, Deadline reported. 'The invitation for the Canadian documentary film "The Road Between Us: The Ultimate Rescue" 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 organizers said in a statement. '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. 'As per our terms and conditions for participation in the festival, 'TIFF may disqualify from participation in the Festival any Film that TIFF determines in its sole and absolute discretion would not be in TIFF's best interest to include in the Festival.' Tibon, an ex-IDF general and a staunch critic of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's judicial overhaul, drove from his Tel Aviv home to southern Israel on the morning of October 7 to help the communities attacked on the border. Since that day, he has been vocal about his opposition to the Israeli government. The filmmaking team behind the documentary told Deadline: 'We are shocked and saddened that a venerable film festival has defied its mission and censored its own programming by refusing this film. 'Ultimately, film is an art form that stimulates debate from every perspective that can both entertain us and make us uncomfortable. 'A film festival lays out the feast and the audience decides what they will or won't see. 'We are not political filmmakers, nor are we activists; we are storytellers. We remain defiant, we will release the film, and we invite audiences, broadcasters, and streamers to make up their own mind, once they have seen it.' Reacting to the film's cancellation, the documentary's subject Tibon said it was 'absurd and outrageous.' The Toronto festival surrendered to pressure and threats, choosing to silence and erase October 7. 'Barry Avrich's documentary tells a human, not political, story, documenting the grim reality of Israel's darkest day. The claim that it cannot be screened because it lacks "usage rights" for Hamas footage from that day is absurd and outrageous - and an insult to the victims. 'Freedom of expression is the courage to present and hear challenging content, even if it is uncomfortable for some audiences.'
