Toronto Film Critics Association aims to bring members back after mass resignations over Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers’ edited speech

By Canadian Press on March 9, 2026.

TORONTO — The Toronto Film Critics Association says it will make changes to its awards process in an effort to bring back members who resigned en masse over the editing of a speech by actor Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers at its gala.

In a statement Monday, acting president Pat Mullen apologized to Tailfeathers after her recorded acceptance speech was edited to remove remarks that expressed support for Palestine.

Last week, Tailfeathers returned her TFCA Award for best supporting actor in “Sweet Angel Baby,” noting she felt the trophy was tainted due to what she referred to as “censorship” of her words.

So far, the controversy has prompted at least a dozen members of the critics group to resign, with several criticizing the organization for attempting to silence the Canadian actor.

In an email statement shared with CBC’s Commotion and obtained by The Canadian Press, Mullen said members of the association “unanimously embrace freedom of speech” and said from now on winners can review and approve any pre-recorded speeches before they air at the awards gala.

Organizers will also be required to clearly communicate time limits or other concerns during the process, he said.

Mullen said the TFCA has reached out to members who resigned in hopes of discussing the circumstances behind their departures and addressing concerns within the organization. The group would welcome their return and remains open to bringing in new members to “better represent the Toronto film scene,” he added.

The TFCA is made up of entertainment writers and hands out the awards annually.

“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,” Mullen wrote.

He also said the group is apologizing to members who were “personally and professionally offended” by the situation.

“You denounced censorship, as do we,” he wrote.

Mullen added that he spoke with Tailfeathers last week and made it clear that he was not involved in cutting her speech.

“I was not a part of any conversation to edit her speech and, like my colleagues, only learned of it via Elle-Máijá’s email to the group, and greatly admire her voice as an artist and activist,” he wrote.

Last week, the TFCA’s now former president Johanna Schneller resigned in light of the controversy and said the actor’s speech was cut “to maintain the timing of the awards show.”

Among the TFCA members who have stepped down are Toronto International Film Festival programmer Kelly Boutsalis, former TIFF programmer Norm Wilner and several critics, including Radheyan Simonpillai, Sarah-Tai Black, Kathleen Newman-Bremang, Adam Nayman and Saffron Maeve.

In his exit email to the TFCA, shared with The Canadian Press, Simonpillai said the handling of the speech contradicted the organization’s stated commitment to Indigenous voices. 

He compared the situation to a controversy at last month’s BAFTA Awards, where a portion of filmmaker Akinola Davies Jr.’s speech calling for a “free Palestine” was edited out of the broadcast.

“The BAFTAs had faced criticism just recently for censoring Akinola Davies Jr.’s speech, and I find it surprising that we didn’t learn that lesson.”