By John Q. Hosedrinker Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) has withdrawn a documentary scheduled for screening on October 7th. According to reports, the festival management cited copyright issues as the reason for rescinding the invitation. Specifically, the filmmakers reportedly did not receive permission from Hamas to use certain video footage. Cameron Bailey, speaking for TIFF, confirmed the decision, highlighting the importance of adhering to copyright regulations.
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TIFF withdraws Oct. 7 doc because filmmakers ‘didn’t receive permission from Hamas to use videos’. Well, that’s a sentence that certainly grabs your attention, doesn’t it? It’s like something out of a dark comedy sketch. The Toronto International Film Festival, a pillar of cinematic expression, is pulling a documentary because the filmmakers, get this, didn’t get the okay from Hamas to use their footage. It’s hard to know where to begin with the absurdity of it all.
The first thought that pops into your head is, is this a joke? Does Hamas have a legal team dedicated to copyright infringement? The whole situation feels like a manufactured excuse, a way to avoid potential backlash. Let’s be honest, the real reason likely has more to do with the current political climate and the potential for protests. This comes after TIFF strongly defended “Russians at War”, so what do you expect from an institution like that? Are the filmmakers really supposed to reach out to Hamas and ask for permission? It’s a ludicrous demand.
The irony is almost too much to bear. TIFF, in defending its decision, cited the need to protect itself from legal issues and the potential for disruption. But if a film showing the realities of a terrorist attack can cause disruption, what does that say about the people causing it? The festival’s actions seem more like cowardice than a principled stand. It’s especially galling when you remember that similar “safety concerns” haven’t stopped them from showing films that align with their messaging.
The whole thing is a joke. It’s infuriating that we live in a world where a terrorist organization seemingly gets to dictate what can be shown. I mean, you don’t need permission from Al-Qaeda to make a documentary about 9/11, so why is this different? Isn’t this textbook fair use? The footage is news from a war, which is being used to critique things that happened there.
Interestingly, it appears that the problem might not be as clear-cut as “Hamas permission.” KAN News, a source close to the production team, mentioned that the issue was the filmmakers’ inability to get permission from the “owners” of the videos – the Hamas terrorists themselves. This potentially opened the festival up to copyright issues. But even with that, the festival organizers are likely citing the “potential threat of significant disruption” as the main reason behind their decision.
It’s also important to note, that the only people talking about “Hamas permission” are “sources close to the production”, not TIFF. It’s a reminder that the media game is adroitly locked down since October 8th. This highlights the influence some groups have. It’s also important to remember that Al-Qaeda was responsible for the 9/11 attacks, and that the footage from that day was most likely recorded by private citizens.
Now, there’s a lot of speculation around the motivations of groups like Al Jazeera, especially given Qatar’s connection to Hamas. There’s a known fact that Al Jazeera has exclusivity on Hamas fighter cams. It’s a known fact that Al Jazeera is Qatar-funded, and Qatar supports Hamas. The journalist who was killed by IDF a few days ago was able to film the hostages release from within touching distance from Hamas and the hostages.
The documentary’s withdrawal is a disheartening display of where the festival is at now. It’s clear that the organizers were simply not brave enough to withstand possible protests. After all, no one ever canceled events because of Westboro Baptist Church, or when BLM events were threatened by the Proud Boys or Boogaloo. But a documentary about the worst pogrom since the Holocaust? Seems we just can’t bear the threat of antisemitic protestors.