‘September 5' Was Rejected by Toronto to Avoid Israeli-Palestinian Controversy

THR’s Scott Feinberg is reporting that “September 5,” a much-buzzed title that screened at Venice and Telluride, was actually rejected by Toronto (TIFF) to avoid controversy:

My understanding is that TIFF outright rejected “September 5”, which was the hottest sales title that played at the Venice and Telluride film fests […] ostensibly because it might generate controversy related to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. So, fearing a backlash, the fest did not screen a film that is going to get a best picture Oscar nomination and maybe even win — it could have done so on opening night, which was, appropriately enough, Sept. 5 […]

Earlier today, Paramount landed “September 5” in a splashy deal. Whether it gets Best Picture nominated is still up for debate, and Feinberg has been banging the drums hard for this film, but TIFF really messed up here. Avoiding screening a film about the murder of Israeli athletes just because it might ignite “controversy” is cowardice at its finest.

Peter Sarsgaard, John Magaro and Leonie Benesch star in “September 5,” the third feature from director Tim Fehlbaum (“The Colony” and “Hell”), a dramatic thriller about ABC Sports’ coverage of the 1972 Munich Olympics terrorist attack in which Palestinian militants took hostage Israeli athletes. The story is told from the perspective of the broadcasters.

As Feinberg points out, TIFF didn’t shy away from screening “Russians at War”, a documentary that featured a sympathetic portrayal of Russian soldiers which ended up resulting in protests and threats of considerable intensity that TIFF had to pull the film from its lineup.