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Toronto (August 15, 2025) – Last night, the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) reversed its disturbing decision to remove The Road Between Us: The Ultimate Rescue from its lineup, following widespread backlash.

In a joint statement, TIFF CEO Cameron Bailey and Canadian filmmaker Barry Avrich announced they had “worked together to find a resolution to satisfy important safety, legal, and programming concerns,” confirming the film will be an official selection this year.

The reversal came just a day after news broke that TIFF had pulled the film, which tells the story of Israeli father Noam Tibon’s heroic mission to save his son and his family as they came under attack by Hamas terrorists at their home in Kibbutz Nahal Oz on October 7. To try to justify canceling the showing of the film, TIFF cited a lack of legal clearance for Hamas-filmed footage of their atrocities, along with fears of disruptive anti-Israel protests and internal opposition.

TIFF’s move drew intense criticism in Canada and abroad from Jewish organizations, political leaders and allies of all backgrounds. Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center (FSWC) swiftly called for a reversal, partnering with CIJA to rally community members to write to Bailey and voice their outrage.

Following the reinstatement, FSWC issued the following statement:

"While we welcome TIFF’s decision to reinstate The Road Between Us: The Ultimate Rescue to its lineup, the removal of the film should never have happened in the first place.

"The reinstatement of the film was made possible by the many local, national and international voices – Jewish and non-Jewish – who spoke out and stood in solidarity with filmmaker Barry Avrich and with all those impacted by the atrocities and trauma of October 7. The truth about Hamas’s horrific massacre must be told, and its tellers should never face intimidation or censorship.

"Much work remains to rebuild trust with the Jewish community and all Canadians, and to restore TIFF’s reputation both here and abroad. Moving forward, TIFF must now demonstrate through its actions that Jewish and Israeli voices will be respected and protected and that important truths, however painful, will not be silenced."

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