In a statement to Deadline on Tuesday, A TIFF spokesperson said, “The invitation for the Canadian documentary film The Road Between Us: The Ultimate Rescue was withdrawn by TIFF because general requirements for inclusion in the festival, and conditions that were requested when the film was initially invited, were not met, including legal clearance of all footage. The purpose of the requested conditions was to protect TIFF from legal implications and to allow TIFF to manage and mitigate anticipated and known risks around the screening of a film about highly sensitive subject matter, including potential threat of significant disruption. As per our terms and conditions for participation in the festival, ‘TIFF may disqualify from participation in the Festival any Film that TIFF determines in its sole and absolute discretion would not be in TIFF’s best interest to include in the Festival.'”
According to Deadline, TIFF requested the film change its name from Out Of Nowhere: The Ultimate Rescue, which the filmmakers did. The festival also requested that the film identify footage from the attacks as well as provide legal and insurance documentation. TIFF apparently requested to screen the film to make sure the changes had been made, after which TIFF CEO Cameron Bailey called the producers to ask them to withdraw the film. When the filmmakers refused, TIFF withdrew its invitation.
The team behind The Road Between Us said in their own statement to Deadline, “We are shocked and saddened that a venerable film festival has defied its mission and censored its own programming by refusing this film. Ultimately, film is an art form that stimulates debate from every perspective that can both entertain us and make us uncomfortable. A film festival lays out the feast and the audience decides what they will or won’t see. We are not political filmmakers, nor are we activists; we are storytellers. We remain defiant, we will release the film, and we invite audiences, broadcasters, and streamers to make up their own mind, once they have seen it.”
