The Toronto Film Critics Association has said it “unanimously” supports freedom of speech and apologized to filmmaker and actor Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers in a statement after the organization edited comments about Palestine from her acceptance speech. 

“We sincerely apologize to Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers for the fact that her message was not aired in full and that she was neither given an opportunity to review the edits to her acceptance speech, nor were time constraints communicated to her,” the Association said in a statement to CBC News. 

The Association said that in the future, all winners will “review and approve pre-recorded speeches before they run, and that any time constraints or concerns must be expressly communicated to them throughout the process.” 

“We are committed to giving a platform to the voices we celebrate,” the Association said. Read the statement in full below. 

Tailfeathers won the Toronto Film Critics Association Award for outstanding supporting performance in a Canadian film, for her role in the drama Sweet Angel Baby. She later handed the award back after the acceptance speech she had pre-recorded for the ceremony was edited to remove comments she made in support of Palestine.

Since then, a host of Association members announced that they were renouncing their memberships. 

Statement:

“The TFCA plans to move forward as an association. Our members unanimously embrace freedom of speech.

We sincerely apologize to Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers for the fact that her message was not aired in full and that she was neither given an opportunity to review the edits to her acceptance speech, nor were time constraints communicated to her.

All winners in future events will receive an opportunity to review and approve pre-recorded speeches before they run, and that any time constraints or concerns must be expressly communicated to them throughout the process. We are committed to giving a platform to the voices we celebrate.

We also apologize to our colleagues who were both personally and professionally offended by these events. You denounced censorship, as do we.

We strive to move forward with the belief that films exist to inspire conversations, however difficult those conversations may be.

The TFCA has also reached out to members who resigned with hopes to discuss any underlying factors that may have contributed to their departures so that we may address additional concerns and create a more member-forward group. We welcome the return of any members and look forward to inviting new perspectives into the group, as we do annually, to better represent the Toronto film scene.”