A documentary about a retired Israeli general’s efforts to rescue his family from the October 7 Hamas massacre — that was briefly disinvited from the competition — won the People’s Choice Award for best documentary at the Toronto International Film Festival on Sunday.

The documentary, “The Road Between Us: The Ultimate Rescue,” charts how retired Israeli general Noam Tibon saved his family and others during the Hamas-led invasion of southern Israel.

It was shown in a single screening on September 10, under heavy police presence, with pro-Palestinian and pro-Israel demonstrators facing off outside the venue ahead of the event.

The Canadian-produced film drew significant attention ahead of TIFF, after it was briefly excluded from the festival due to what organizers said was a lack of “legal clearance” for certain footage used.

TIFF CEO Cameron Bailey denied reports that director Barry Avrich was asked to secure rights to use actual Hamas bodycam footage of the atrocities, during which Palestinian terrorists rampaged through southern communities on October 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people and abducting 251 hostages, starting the ongoing war in Gaza.

The film was eventually reinstated, and Bailey conceded that TIFF had mishandled its submission process.

Despite the bad blood, Avrich and producer Mark Selby thanked Bailey and the TIFF staff in their acceptance speech on Sunday.

Bailey recalled being “blown away” by the festival when he first saw a movie at the event in 1986, and said, “I appreciate everything that TIFF has done for us,” without mentioning the brief withdrawal of the film.

“I want to thank the incredible staff at TIFF, Alyssa, Jay, Angela, everyone,” Selby said. “I hope all the filmmakers of this festival feel as supported as Barry and I did during this whole process. So thank you to all of them, and as I was a venue liaison for TIFF 10 years ago, I know what it’s like to work the long hours that they’re working and to come out on the other side of us.”

Bailey was not available for interviews on Sunday, according to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.

The People’s Choice awards are voted on by those who attend the film screenings, with a cross-checking process in place to ensure that the vote is not swayed by people who were not in attendance.

Meanwhile, “Hamnet,” a devastating period drama about the life of William Shakespeare and his family, won top prize at the festival among feature films.

The heart-wrenching movie stars Paul Mescal as Shakespeare, who tries to forge a career as a playwright while his wife Agnes — played by Jessie Buckley — contends with the perils of plague and childbirth in Elizabethan England.

It comes from Chloe Zhao, who directed 2020’s Oscar-winning “Nomadland.” Securing the Toronto award, on top of glowing reviews, confirms “Hamnet” as another Academy Award frontrunner.

The film is based on a novel by Maggie O’Farrell, which colors in the gaps of the little we know about the Shakespeares.

Agencies contributed to this report.