From the Liveblog of
Sunday, September 14, 2025
Israeli film on Oct. 7 wins People’s Choice Award for best documentary at Toronto film festival
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on Google
A documentary about a retired Israeli general’s efforts to rescue his family from the October 7 Hamas attacks has won the People’s Choice Award for best documentary at the Toronto International Film Festival.
The documentary, “The Road Between Us: The Ultimate Rescue,” charts how retired Israeli general Noam Tibon saved his family and others during the Hamas-led invasion of southern Israel.
It was shown in a single screening on September 10.
The Canadian-produced film drew significant attention ahead of TIFF, after it was briefly withdrawn from the festival due to what organizers said was a lack of “legal clearance” for certain footage used.
TIFF CEO Cameron Bailey denied reports that director Barry Avrich was asked to secure rights to use actual Hamas bodycam footage of the atrocities, during which Palestinian terrorists killed some 1,200 people and abducted 251 hostages, starting the ongoing war in Gaza.
The film was eventually reinstated, and Bailey conceded that TIFF mishandled its submission process.
The People’s Choice awards are voted on by those who attend the film screenings, with a cross-checking process in place to ensure that the vote is not swayed by people who were not in attendance.
Agencies contributed to this report.
The Times of Israel Community.