The Toronto International Film Festival has confirmed that it will screen the documentary The Road Between Us at the 2025 edition of the festival. In a joint statement, TIFF CEO Cameron Bailey and the film’s director/producer Barry Avrich ended a tumultuous 24 hours of public outcry with a show of solidarity. The festival will screen the film about retired Israel Defense Forces (IDF) General Noam Tibon, who saved several people when Hamas terrorists attacked Israel on October 7, 2023 in events related to the Israeli occupation of Palestine.
The decision comes shortly after TIFF reversed the acceptance of Avrich’s film, which hadn’t publicly been announced as an official selection, citing concerns over clearances and copyright pertaining to use of a clip posted online by Hamas.
The filmmakers told Deadline they saw the decision as an act of censorship, and public outcry drew criticisms of antisemitism and double standards. Meanwhile, The Globe and Mail reported alleged dissension in the ranks of TIFF’s staff, and internal fears that the festival would inevitably face protests, as arts events in Toronto featuring any association with Israel have been targeted by protest networks since fall 2023.
“We have worked together to find a resolution to satisfy important safety, legal, and programming concerns,” said Bailey and Avrich. “We are pleased to share that The Road Between Us: The Ultimate Rescue 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.”
TIFF will announce showtimes for The Road Between Us on August 20.
Read the full joint statement below:
Over the past 24 hours, there has been much discussion about TIFF’s decision to withdraw its invitation to The Road Between Us: The Ultimate Rescue for this year’s festival. Both TIFF and the filmmakers have heard the pain and frustration expressed by the public and we want to address this together.
We have worked together to find a resolution to satisfy important safety, legal, and programming concerns. We are pleased to share that The Road Between Us: The Ultimate Rescue 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.
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.
Both TIFF and the filmmakers have always been committed to presenting diverse perspectives and a belief in the power of storytelling to spark and encourage dialogue and understanding. We thank our audiences and community for their passion, honesty, and belief in the importance of film. We look forward to announcing more details including the World Premiere date on August 20th.
— Cameron Bailey, CEO, TIFF & Barry Avrich, Filmmaker, The Road Between Us: The Ultimate Rescue
