TIFF says Oct 7 doc withdrawn over legal clearances, not censorship

Toronto’s premier film festival is revisiting the fate of a high-profile documentary about the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack, saying the film was withdrawn because essential legal clearances and other conditions were not met, even as festival officials deny censoring programming. The documentary, The Road Between Us The Ultimate Rescue, which follows retired Israeli General Noam Tibon as he tried to rescue his family during the assault, had been invited to TIFF but was ultimately not included in the festival’s lineup. TIFF’s chief executive has asserted that claims of censorship are false and that the festival remains open to working with the filmmakers to find a path to screen the film, if possible.

TIFF’s decision centers on the film’s use of footage purportedly captured by Hamas during the attack, including bodycam material that the festival required to be legally cleared and properly identified. The organization has said that, under its terms, inclusion in the festival requires, among other things, legal clearance for all footage and documentation that defines the sources of such material, along with insurance and risk-management provisions. The festival has emphasized that...