TIFF and filmmaker Barry Avrich reach resolution to screen Oct. 7 doc amid outcry

The Toronto International Film Festival and the filmmaker behind a documentary about the Hamas attacks in Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, say they have reached an agreement and the doc will screen at the festival next month.

In a joint statement Thursday, TIFF CEO Cameron Bailey and director Barry Avrich said they have heard the “pain and frustration” from the public after news broke that the doc was disinvited from this year’s lineup, and they wanted to address the issue together.

They said they have ironed out “important safety, legal and programming concerns” around the film, titled “The Road Between Us: The Ultimate Rescue.”

It follows retired Israeli general Noam Tibon’s mission to rescue his family during the Hamas attacks, during which 1,200 people were killed and more than 250 hostages were taken.

Earlier this week, festival organizers said they pulled the documentary because it didn’t meet certain requirements around security concerns and “legal clearance of all footage.”

The decision sparked an international outcry, including from some Jewish groups and politicians. The filmmakers also accused the festival of censorship, which Bailey denied.

“In this case, TIFF’s communication around its requirements did not clearly articulate the concerns and roadblocks that arose and for that, we are sorry,” the joint statement said.

Around the same time the statement was released Thursday evening, protesters were outside the TIFF Lightbox theatre in downtown Toronto, some waving Israeli flags and signs calling for Bailey to resign.

The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs said TIFF ultimately made the right choice after its “shameful decision to cave to extremist pressure.”

“It should never have been a question whether one of our leading cultural institutions would showcase a story of courage and survival,” said Noah Shack, the organization’s chief executive officer, in a statement Thursday.

“There is an urgent need for accountability to ensure this can never happen again — at TIFF or anywhere else.”

The film’s world premiere date will be announced next week, Bailey and Avrich said.

TIFF runs from Sept. 4 to 14.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 14, 2025.