Cowardice Is Killing The Spirit Of Modern Film Festivals

Your average film festival won’t screen “A Minecraft Movie,” “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” or “Nobody 2.” And that’s a good thing.

Festivals give indie filmmakers a chance to shine in a crowded marketplace. They also shake up the theatrical experience by pushing audiences out of their comfort zone.

In short, prepare to be challenged. The best art does just that.

TORONTO, ONTARIO – SEPTEMBER 15: Mike Downie accepts the “People’s Choice Documentary Award” for “The Tragically Hip: No Dress Rehearsal” onstage at the TIFF 2024 Awards Ceremony during the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival. (Photo by Jeremy Chan/Getty Images)

Yet some modern film festivals are running from that unspoken promise. And, as is often the case, it involves cowardly programmers who refuse to provoke their presumably left-leaning audiences. In other situations, the festivals won’t stand behind art that could draw the wrong kind of crowd.

Protesters, to be specific, the kind that shout, “From the river to the sea…”

The latest, most embarrassing example? The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), one of the industry’s most prestigious events, recently yanked an October 7 documentary from its line up.

“The Road Between Us: The Ultimate Rescue” recalls how retired Israel Defense Forces General Noam Tibon saved Israelis targeted for death by Hamas terrorists during that cataclysmic day.

TEL AVIV, ISRAEL – DECEMBER 02: Major General (Res.) Noam Tibon. Alexi J. Rosenfeld/Getty Images

But why cancel the documentary at all? TIFF officials initially said the film didn’t get the legal clearances for footage of Hamas soldiers attacking innocent Jews. That explanation drew instant ridicule, forcing TIFF to suggest it’s working to find a way to solve the issues and re-install the film into its lineup.

Now, an embarrassed TIFF says it will “ensure” the film will screen at the September festival after a major media backlash.

The damage is done, no matter what kind of backpedal the festival attempts. Its absurd rationale is likely cover for the real issue – pro-Palestinian protesters would have swarmed the screening, as they’ve done countless times before.

Photo by -/AFP via Getty Images

Jewish artists (Michael Rapaport, Matisyahu) routinely find their shows canceled due to fear of pro-Palestinian protests. Festival-based violence could have ensued, although a strong show of force would likely prevent such an occurrence.

The Heckler’s Veto won. Again. It’s one reason why protesters keep on raising their voices. They get results.

Today’s festival programmer too often chooses to censor art rather than let it shine.

A more egregious example of festival cowardice? The Sundance Film Festival threw open its arms to “Jihad Rehab,” a celebrated film focusing on Muslim terrorists and their path to redemption.

The film actually screened the documentary in January 2022, coaxing two festival employees to resign in protest. That was just the beginning of the outrage. Some Muslim filmmakers howled over the film’s inclusion, arguing the film exposed the participants to potential danger. Others suggested the film’s director, a white woman named Meg Smaker, was the wrong person to tell the story.

David Becker/Getty Images

Sundance later issued an apology for screening the film, and other festivals dropped “Jihad Rehab” from their lineups.

Smaker eventually won the PR war, with far-Left sites like The New York Times and The Atlantic rushing to her side. The film, retitled “The UnRedacted,” still can’t be seen via VOD platforms, though.

Still, the most recognizable film festival in the country couldn’t stand up for its own screened film. That sends a chilling signal throughout the creative community.

Pro-Palestinian pressure also got a trans-related documentary canceled from a Belgium film festival last year. “The Belle from Gaza” focused on a transgender Palestinian woman fleeing Gaza for her own safety and ending up in Tel Aviv.

Variety captured the current state of film festivals in 2023.

In fact, that quick-to-capitulate reflex underscores a new, unspoken modus operandi in which festivals — once the bastion of provocative, button-pushing fare — are desperate to avoid controversy and the wrath of any identity-focused Twitter mob. 

It hasn’t gotten better since then. And there’s a second factor in play.

Modern film festivals display a sense of ideological uniformity that diminishes their cultural impact. Left-leaning features are commonplace, be it stories about abortion rights or pro-LGBTQ+ narratives.

Films that defy that ideology rarely, if ever, make the cut.

Imagine a film festival featuring “What Is a Woman?” The Daily Wire’s blistering take down of progressive gender beliefs.

Matt Walsh/What is a Woman?

What about “The Fall of Minneapolis,” a harrowing account of the media’s false narratives surrounding George Floyd’s 2020 death?

Or consider “What Killed Michael Brown?” That 2022 movie exposed similarly skewed narratives surrounding the Missouri resident’s 2014 death following a police interaction.

Had any of those films made the film festival cut it might have sparked protests, resignations or both. Cancellations might have followed.

Festival programmers, by insisting on ideological purity, keep these kinds of projects out of their lineups. And few audience members are challenged along the way.

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Even stories told by those holding unorthodox views may not get a festival closeup. Podcaster Adam Carolla has complained that his opinions have kept his apolitical racing documentaries from debuting in film festivals. The most extreme example? His 2020 documentary “Uppity,” a testament to Willy T. Ribbs, the first black race car driver to compete in the Indy 500, didn’t make the festival circuit.

The film checked enough progressive boxes to be included, and the few critics who reviewed the film raved about its content. That didn’t help Carolla crack the festival market.

Hollywood’s progressive groupthink remains a problem, keeping great stories and actors off screen. A similar sentiment holds with film festivals. A fear of social media controversy, and backbone deficit, is making matters worse.

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Christian Toto is an award-winning journalist, movie critic and editor of HollywoodInToto.com. He previously served as associate editor with Breitbart News’ Big Hollywood. Follow him at HollywoodInToto.com.

The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.