The screening was reportedly cancelled after Hamas refused to grant the festival ‘legal clearance’ to use the videos its terrorists took of the massacres
August 14, 2025 09:39
The Toronto International Film Festival (Tiff) has apologised after it pulled a screening of The Road Between Us: The Ultimate Rescue, a documentary about the October 7 attacks, reportedly because Hamas did not give it “legal clearance” to use the GoPro videos its terrorists took of the massacres.
The film details the story of retired IDF general Noam Tibon, who took up arms to defend his family from the atrocities of that day.
It was due to be shown at the annual festival next month, but the screening was cancelled “because general requirements for inclusion in the festival, and conditions that were requested when the film was initially invited, were not met”.
This included “legal clearance” for all footage, a festival spokesperson confirmed to Deadline.
They added: "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.”
Festival “insiders” told Deadline that one of the key disagreements between the organisers and filmmakers was over whether they were legally able to use footage shot by Hamas terrorists and released by the group after the attack.
There were also reportedly concerns about potentially disruptive protests given the sensitive topic of the film.
The decision attracted condemnation from Jewish and pro-Israel groups in Canada, as well as from Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar.
In a post on X, Sa’ar wrote: “This festival would have asked Hitler or Goebbels for copyright on Auschwitz footage.
"Of course, the festival is about to screen five Palestinian films. This vicious and sickening decision must be cancelled immediately.”
However, Tiff CEO Cameron Bailey has since apologised for the cancellation and said he is working to get the film back on the big screen in time for the festival.
He said: “My intention was to screen The Road Between Us, 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.
"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 also called any suggestion that the documentary had been censored due to its pro-Israel themes “unequivocally false”.
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