TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — A Wednesday night screening at The Loft Cinema drew more than just filmgoers. Protesters lined the sidewalk outside the theater, criticizing its decision to show October 8th, a documentary about the rise of antisemitism in the U.S. following the October 7th Hamas attacks on Israel.
Supporters say the film presents a perspective that’s been missing from local conversations, while critics have called it “right-wing propaganda.”
Tony Zinman, a longtime Loft member and member of the Jewish community himself, was part of a local effort encouraging the nonprofit theater to screen the film after it had previously shown documentaries critical of Israel, including The Encampments last month.
“As long as there’s balance and they show both sides, I’m fine with that,” Zinman said. “The pro-Palestinian side had their side shown by a film shown here a couple of weeks ago, and yet they don’t want another side shown.”
KGUN 9 has reached out to organizers of the protest but did not receive a response in time for publication. We will add their statements into this story once they become available.
Zinman said he’s never considered canceling his membership and believes community institutions like The Loft have a responsibility to promote open dialogue.
“Civil conversations about complicated issues are great things,” he said. “The Loft, as a jewel institution in our community, has a great role in that.”
In response to criticism over the screening, The Loft Cinema provided a statement to KGUN 9 defending its programming choices and emphasizing its commitment to free expression:
The Loft Cinema chose to screen both October 8 and the documentary The Encampments in response to the high volume of community requests for both films.
The Loft closely monitors community feedback, and the decision to screen both October 8 and The Encampments was based on strong support from our audience. In response to calls from some individuals to cancel the screening of October 8, we want to affirm that freedom of speech and expression is one of our core values. We do not support censorship or the banning of films.
The Loft Cinema showcases a wide range of films across all genres, featuring diverse voices from both the U.S. and around the world.
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