Director Avi Nesher’s latest film, “Our Loves,” will be screened at the upcoming Toronto Film Festival, featured in the Centrepiece program that highlights feature films from established directors.

The Toronto film event, known as TIFF, is considered an important landmark in the North American awards season, and Nesher’s inclusion is considered significant with Israeli filmmakers struggling with global cultural boycotts amid the war in Gaza.

During a panel at the recent Jerusalem Film Festival, Nesher called the boycotts “a sad part of life” that has to be dealt with “somehow.”

Nesher and his producers discussed at the panel how they navigated the ongoing boycotts, citing “Our Loves” as an example of a film that was able to secure additional backing from entertainment giants Fox and Access Entertainment at a time when foreign funding has been difficult to come by, and festivals have been unwelcoming to Israeli entries.

“Our Loves” is Nesher’s telling of the October 7, 2023, Hamas terrorist attack, following an ensemble of characters whose stories intertwine during the vicious onslaught when rampaging terrorists killed some 1,200 people in southern Israel and abducted 251 people to Gaza.

“Our Loves” is considered a serious contender for the Ophir Award in September, which would then make the movie Israel’s submission for the Academy Awards. The film opens in........

© The Times of Israel