Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers returns Toronto film critics award, says support for Palestine cut from speech

Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers says she is reverting her Toronto shoot Critics connexion grant after a portion of her banker's acceptance speech expressing support for Palestine was cut out.

The TFCA's president Johanna Schneller said Wednesday the Canadian actor and filmmaker's speech was cut for length, but that she is resigning "in light of this outcome."

Tailfeathers won outstanding supporting performance in a Canadian film for her role in Melanie Oates' drama Sweet Angel Baby.

She did not attend the gala on Monday night and sent an acceptance speech by video, which she says was censored. 

Tailfeathers wrote in an email to the TFCA that she's sending back her award, noting she followed instructions on how to film her speech.

Schneller said in a statement that she's "saddened" to learn that Tailfeathers was returning her award, and that she made the decision to shorten the speech — along with those of other recipients — to maintain timing of the event.

But Tailfeathers says her reference to the conflict in Palestine was two sentences long and that "a choice was made to neutralize and censor my words."

The TFCA is made up of entertainment writers and hands out the awards annually. On Wednesday, several of its members posted on social media that they were resigning from the group, including critics Adam Nayman, Saffron Maeve and Sarah-Tai Black. Film writer Radheyan Simonpillai confirmed he is stepping down, as well.

In her email, which was forwarded to The Canadian Press, Tailfeathers wrote that in the portion of her speech that was removed, she said: "When we were shooting Sweet Angel Baby, October 7th happened and it changed everything. I just want to say that my heart continues to be with the people of Palestine who are experiencing this ongoing genocide and thank you to anyone in this industry who's been brave enough to say anything."

Tailfeathers has won multiple Canadian Screen Awards, including best director with Kathleen Hepburn for 2019's The Body Remembers When the World Broke Open. That film also won the TFCA Award for best Canadian film.

Tailfeathers further said in her email that she refuses to be silenced for speaking out about the Israel-Palestine conflict.

The actor added that she also empathizes with those in the Jewish community who have been harmed by antisemitic violence, and that it's never acceptable.

"If we aim to rid this world of antisemitism, so too must we rid this world of Islamophobia and anti-Palestinian hate," she wrote.

"To those in the Jewish community who are speaking out against the genocide of Palestinians, I recognize the incredible risk you are taking in critiquing the actions of the state of Israel. You are brave and your actions do not go unnoticed."

She continued: "To my Palestinian kin, especially the artists and filmmakers, I use the words of Fatima Hassouna and say 'I put my soul in my hand and walk with you.'"

An Israeli onslaught on Gaza was triggered by the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas attack that killed some 1,200 people in Israel and took more than 250 others hostage. The hostages have been released, mostly as part of ceasefire agreements.

Israel's campaign has killed more than 72,000 people, nearly half of them women and children, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. The ministry, which is part of the Hamas-led government, maintains detailed casualty records seen as generally reliable by UN agencies and independent experts, though it does not give a breakdown of civilians and militants.

The Canadian Press

Alex Nino Gheciu is a reporter with The Canadian Press.

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