Toronto Film Festival announced that Barry Avrich’s documentary The Road Between Us: The Ultimate Rescue, about Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023 attacks in Israel, has been pulled from the lineup.

According to organizers, the decision boiled down to issues over footage rights and security concerns. But the filmmaking team calls the move censorship.

The Road Between Us: The Ultimate Rescue is a documentary by Canadian filmmaker and follows retired Israeli Gen. Noam Tibon as he attempts to rescue his son, journalist Amir Tibon, and his family during the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas‑led attack on Kibbutz Nahal Oz in southern Israel.

The film includes footage captured by Hamas militants during the attack, in which over a quarter of the kibbutz’s 400 residents were killed or taken hostage.

TIFF had invited the documentary to be part of its 2025 lineup but later withdrew the invitation, according to Deadline, who first reported the story.

Filmmakers were instructed to make editorial changes that specifically identified the source of graphic footage livestreamed by Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023 — footage that had already been publicly circulated.

However, the festival maintains that it did not ask for editorial changes, but rather requested confirmation of the footage’s source and proof of legal clearance.

Censorship

The filmmakers called the move “censorship.” “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.”

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar condemned TIFFs decision: “This festival would have asked Hitler or Goebbels for copyright on Auschwitz footage. This vicious and sickening decision must be cancelled immediately!”

TIFF must reverse this decision immediately.

Noah Shack, CEO of the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA), added: “This shameful decision sends an unmistakable message: Toronto’s Jewish community, which has long played integral role at TIFF, is no longer safe or welcome. This should concern all Canadians and marks a stain on the festival’s reputation. TIFF must reverse this decision immediately.”

The filmmakers emphasized that the footage was publicly available and argued that requiring permission from a terrorist organization was unreasonable.

Toronto Film Festival CEO Cameron Bailey has pushed back against censorship claims.

In statement on Wednesday, Bailey apologized for “any pain this situation may have caused,” and said that “this situation calls for compassion and sensitivity, and I recognize the concerns it has raised among members of the Jewish community and beyond. ”

“My intention was to screen The Road Between Us: The Ultimate Rescue, which is why I extended the invitation for the film to participate in this year’s festival. 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.

Bailey asked for “patience and understanding as we navigate this complex landscape.” “The events of Oct. 7, 2023 and the ongoing suffering in Gaza weigh heavily on us, underscoring the urgent need for compassion amid rising antisemitism and Islamophobia,” he said. “While we are not a political organization, TIFF will always strive to present our programming in a safe, inclusive environment.”

Despite the setback, the filmmakers announced their intention to release the film independently so that audiences worldwide can see it.

The controversy underscores the challenges festivals, distributors, and awards organizations face in a politically fraught climate.

This year’s Oscar-winning documentary No Other Land, chronicling the alliance between a Palestinian activist and an Israeli journalist, has yet to find U.S. distributor despite acclaim. One of the No Other Land‘s codirectors noted, “There is much less space for this kind of criticism, even when it comes in the form of a film.”