Toronto/IBNS: Canadian filmmaker Barry Avrich’s The Road Between Us: The Ultimate Rescue has clinched the People’s Choice Documentary Award at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) 2025, festival organizers announced.

“To win this award is thrilling for Mark and me. The audience voted and I appreciate that. We look forward to the rest of this journey,” Avrich said while accepting the trophy at TIFF Lightbox alongside producer Mark Selby.

Turning to TIFF CEO Cameron Bailey, Avrich added: “Thank you. I appreciate everything that TIFF has done for us.”

Producer Selby, in his acceptance remarks, said: “I hope that all the filmmakers of this festival feel as supported as Barry and I did during this whole process.”

The documentary, produced in 2025, recounts the dramatic rescue carried out by retired Israeli general Noam Tibon, who set out from Tel Aviv on October 7, 2023, to save his son Amir, an author, and his family trapped inside their home in the kibbutz of Nahal Oz during Hamas’ deadly assault.

Avrich weaves together intimate interviews with survivors, including Noam, his wife Gali, Amir and daughter-in-law Miri, along with harrowing footage from Hamas’ livestreams, security cameras, traffic cams, and dashboard recordings. Edited by Dave Kennedy, the film creates an almost real-time reconstruction of the terror, blending personal testimony with chilling images of devastation.

The character study portrays Noam Tibon as a former Israel Defense Forces general who drew on his military experience to plunge into enemy fire. On his way to rescue his family, Noam and Gali also helped save more than 400 people from the kibbutz, turning their story into one of heroism and communal survival.

The Road Between Us will be self-released across North America on about 125 screens in more than 20 cities starting October 3, 2025. The win at TIFF’s People’s Choice Documentary Award—often seen as a bellwether for awards season—positions the film as a potential Oscar contender.

(Reporting by Asha Bajaj)