A controversial documentary about a retired Israeli general’s rescue mission on Oct. 7, 2023, has won the People’s Choice Award for best documentary at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF).
The Road Between Us: The Ultimate Rescue, directed by Barry Avrich, drew competing pro-Palestinian and pro-Israel protests outside its single screening this week.
The list of winners was sent out on Sunday morning before they were announced during a ceremony at the TIFF Lightbox theatre, the festival’s headquarters.
The film chronicles retired Israeli general Noam Tibon’s effort to rescue his family during attacks led by Hamas on southern Israel that killed 1,200 people and led to the abduction of 251 others, according to Israeli tallies.
Last month, TIFF said it pulled the film from its lineup due to security concerns and rights issues, prompting criticism from politicians, Jewish organizations and entertainment industry figures.
The festival reinstated the film days later, and TIFF CEO Cameron Bailey promised clearer communication around programming decisions.
Reporters were told Bailey would not be available for interviews on Sunday.
Meanwhile, the general People’s Choice Award — long considered a bellwether for the Oscars — went to Hamnet, Chloé Zhao’s Shakespeare origin story starring Paul Mescal and Jessie Buckley.
Frankenstein, directed by Guillermo del Toro, was named first runner-up, while Rian Johnson’s Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery was second runner-up for the coveted prize.
The People’s Choice Award for the favoured film in the Midnight Madness program went to Matt Johnson’s Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie.
Uiksaringitara (Wrong Husband), directed by Zacharias Kunuk, was named the best Canadian feature film.
Blue Heron, a film from Toronto’s Sophy Romvari, won the Best Canadian Discovery Award, a jury prize that goes to an early-career filmmaker.
