NEW YORK: The Toronto International Film Festival will screen a documentary on the 2023 Hamas attack, after all, following an uproar over the film’s disinvitation from the upcoming festival.
Earlier this week, TIFF withdrew its invitation to the film “The Road Between Us: The Ultimate Rescue.” The festival said the decision was based in part on legal clearance for footage used in the documentary. Deadline, which first reported the news, said a sticking point was the identification and legal clearance of Hamas militants’ own livestreaming of the attack.
On Thursday evening, TIFF chief executive Cameron Bailey and “The Road Between Us” filmmaker Barry Avrich issued a joint statement announcing the film’s selection.
“Both TIFF and the filmmakers have heard the pain and frustration expressed by the public and we want to address this together,” said Bailey and Avrich. “We have worked together to find a resolution to satisfy important safety, legal, and programming concerns.”
“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,” they continued.
The film chronicles the story of retired Israeli Gen. Noam Tibon, whose efforts to save his family and others during the Oct. 7, 2023 attack was profiled in a “60 Minutes” segment.
After being informed that the film wouldn’t screen at the festival, the “Road Between Us” filmmakers issued a statement claiming TIFF “censored its own programming by refusing the film.”
Bailey disputed that allegation, and pleaded that the situation demanded sensitivity.
“The events of October 7, 2023, and the ongoing suffering in Gaza weigh heavily on us, underscoring the urgent need for compassion amid rising antisemitism and Islamophobia,” Bailey said on Wednesday.
The Toronto International Film Festival, North America’s largest film festival, runs Sept. 4–14.
After uproar, documentary on Hamas 2023 attack will screen at Toronto Film Festival
https://arab.news/najhd
After uproar, documentary on Hamas 2023 attack will screen at Toronto Film Festival
- Earlier this week, TIFF withdrew its invitation to the film “The Road Between Us: The Ultimate Rescue,” citing legal clearance for footage used in the documentary
- The film chronicles the story of retired Israeli Gen. Noam Tibon, whose efforts to save his family and others during the Oct. 7, 2023 attack was profiled in a “60 Minutes” segment
May Calamawy heads to Egypt for acting workshop with Ivana Chubbuck
DUBAI: Egyptian-Palestinian Hollywood star May Calamawy is reportedly heading to Cairo this week to take part in a panel talk alongside renowned acting coach Ivana Chubbuck.
Chubbuck — who has worked with Halle Berry, Charlize Theron, Brad Pitt, James Franco, Gerard Butler, and Eva Mendes — will be joined by “Moon Knight” actress Calamawy and Egyptian actor Nour El-Nabawy, who will share insights on their careers.
The industry experts will take to the stage at the Ghurnata Community Space in Cairo on Dec. 18.
Calamawy is known for her roles in US Netflix series “Ramy” and “Moon Knight” (2022), where she plays dual characters Layla El-Faouly and the Scarlet Scarab.
She made headlines in late 2024 when almost all her scenes were cut from Ridley Scott’s “Gladiator II,” with fans taking to social media to complain.
Her casting in the film was first announced in May 2023.
At the time, Deadline reported that Scott had cast Calamawy after a lengthy search, writing: “While many of the leading roles were straight offers, Scott wanted to do a similar search he did for the (Paul) Mescal part for the role that Calamawy ultimately landed.”
Calamawy is also known for her activism, and regularly takes to social media to support charity initiatives raising money and awareness for Gaza.
This week, she promoted newly released song “Lullaby,” which the Together for Palestine charity is trying to propel to the Christmas No. 1 spot in the UK chart to raise money for the people of Palestine.
Palestinian singer Nai Barghouti, Celeste, Dan Smith from Bastille, Lana Lubany, the London Community Gospel Choir, Mabel, Nadine Shah, Neneh Cherry, and Leigh-Anne Pinnock are all featured on the track.
The song is an adaptation of a Palestinian lullaby called “Yamma Mwel El-Hawa” and it carries a message about demanding dignity.
The song “Lullaby” is produced by Kieran Brunt, Benji B and Henri Davies and features a mix of the original Arabic lyrics with English additions written by Peter Gabriel.
Earlier this year, Calamawy took to Instagram to promote Palestinian film “To A Land Unknown,” telling her 359,000 followers the movie was on a 40-screen cinema run in North America in July.
Distributed by Watermelon Pictures, the film was directed by Mahdi Fleifel and stars Angeliki Papoulia, Mahmoud Bakri, Manal Awad and Aram Sabbah.
The film’s logline reads: “Reda and Chatila are two Palestinian cousins hustling their way through the underbelly of Athens pursuing their dream of making it to Germany.
“But as their hardship grows, so too does their desperation. When Chatila hatches a reckless all-or-nothing plan, it strains their bond and pushes the limits of what they will do for freedom.”
