Avi Nesher's Our Loves, a film depicting characters trapped in the October 7 massacre, will screen at the Toronto International Film Festival in a move industry insiders are calling a significant breakthrough in what producers describe as an unofficial but real international boycott of Israeli cinema. The film's selection for TIFF's prestigious Centerpiece section comes nearly three years after the October 7 attacks that form the backdrop of its narrative.
The announcement follows news that international entertainment companies FOX Entertainment Studios and Access Entertainment — the latter having produced Oscar-winning films including The Zone of Interest and Conclave — have signed on as co-producers. The involvement of major international partners marks what producers characterize as a crucial step in overcoming resistance to Israeli films, particularly those telling explicitly Israeli stories in Hebrew.
The Film and Its Context
Our Loves follows seven characters whose lives intersect during the October 7 attacks. Each is trapped in a dysfunctional relationship, believing October 6 — the day their relationships ended — was the worst day of their lives. The following day, as they struggle to survive the massacre, previously hidden truths about their pasts and futures begin to emerge. The film stars leading Israeli actors including Shalom Michaelshwilli, Magi Azarzar, Yaniv Biton, Noa Cohen, and Hadas Yaron, among others.
Nesher, one of Israel's most prominent filmmakers with 21 films to his credit, has frequently drawn inspiration from real events. His previous work includes The Troupe from 48 years ago, Turn Left at the End of the World from 22 years ago, The Matchmaker from 16 years ago, and Image of Victory from 5 years ago, which depicted Jews and Egyptians during the War of Independence. Our Loves recently received 12 Ophir Award nominations, including best picture, director, screenplay, cinematography, editing, and original music.
Breaking Through Boycott Walls
SIPUR CEO Emilio Schenker said the film represents "perhaps the most significant opportunity Israel has been given to present the human story of October 7 to the world." He added that "the film's extraordinary power has succeeded in breaking through the walls of the infuriating boycott directed against Israeli cinema." The story from "the most painful and difficult day in the country's history" will now be presented "on one of the world's most important and respected cinematic stages," Schenker said.
Liron Edery, United King Films' head of marketing and distribution, said producers are "pleased to see that the boycott of Israeli cinema is gradually crumbling and that Israeli films continue to receive a platform at the world's most important festivals because of their quality and power." She described TIFF's selection as "a significant statement" for a film that tells "the Israeli story and what we experienced on that terrible day."
Edery emphasized the film's themes beyond the massacre itself: "No less importantly, it is a film about the possibility of repair, healing, and change, and about the strength to grow even out of the greatest fracture." She expressed confidence that "good cinema succeeds in crossing borders, languages, and prejudices."
Academy Award Prospects
At a panel during the Jerusalem Film Festival last month, Access Entertainment president Danny Cohen, a former director of BBC Television, spoke of the film's awards potential. "I genuinely believe it has Academy Award potential," Cohen said. "I've worked on a number of Oscar campaigns. I think Avi's work deserves that platform. And I hope the Israeli Academy selects this film as Israel's submission for Best International Feature."
The involvement of major international entertainment figures, including FOX Entertainment Studios and Access Entertainment — headed by Len Blavatnik and Cohen — is expected to give the film access to millions of viewers worldwide. The producers include Schenker and Gideon Tadmor for SIPUR; Moshe Edery and Leon Edery for United King Films; and Cohen for Access Entertainment. Executive producers include Fernando Szew for FOX Entertainment Studios; Jim Berk and Sheldon Rabinowitz for Moriah Media; and Shari Redstone for SIPUR.
The Toronto International Film Festival is the largest film festival in North America and considered one of the most prestigious in the world, widely regarded as an important launching pad for movies seeking international distribution and awards recognition.
Why This Matters:
The selection of Our Loves for Toronto's Centerpiece section highlights the complex intersection of art, politics, and trauma in international cultural spaces. While the film's producers frame its acceptance as breaking through a boycott of Israeli cinema, the broader context reveals how cultural institutions navigate deeply polarized responses to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The film focuses exclusively on Israeli trauma from October 7 without addressing the broader context of what followed — the war in Gaza that has killed tens of thousands of Palestinian civilians and displaced nearly the entire population. Whether international audiences will engage with a narrative centered solely on Israeli suffering, or whether the film's focus will reinforce existing divisions, remains to be seen. The involvement of major international studios suggests that Israeli perspectives on October 7 will receive significant platforms, even as Palestinian narratives of the subsequent war struggle for comparable visibility in mainstream Western cultural institutions. The question isn't whether Israeli stories deserve to be told — they do — but whether the international cultural landscape provides equal space for Palestinian voices documenting their own catastrophic losses.