EXCLUSIVE: Briarcliff Entertainment has set a March theatrical release date for the Oscar-qualified documentary October 8, a searing examination of antisemitism that erupted after the Hamas terror attack on Israel of October 7, 2023.
Wendy Sachs directed the film (originally titled October H8TE), with Emmy-winning actress and activist Debra Messing serving as executive producer. Messing appears on camera in the documentary, along with actor-comedian Michael Rapaport, author Noa Tishby, Mosab Hassan Yousef (son of Hamas’s founder Mosab Hassan Yousef), former Meta COO Sheryl Sandberg, Congressman Ritchie Torres, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, U.S. Ambassador Deborah Lipstadt, college students Tessa Veksler, Noa Fay and Talia Khan, and others.
Briarcliff plans a March 14 limited nationwide theatrical debut for the film, in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Miami, Washington DC and other cities.
“October 8 offers a searing look at the eruption of antisemitism on college campuses, social media and in the streets of America starting the day after Hamas’ attack on Israel on October 7,” a synopsis notes. “The film unpacks this pivotal moment at American universities where Hamas is celebrated as freedom fighters rather than as terrorists.”
The synopsis continues, “October 8 shows how Hamas has strategically infiltrated American culture with their messaging and propaganda, finding unexpected resonance not only among Gen Z but with both students and faculty on elite college campuses. It also examines the normalization of anti-Zionism that has become the modern iteration of antisemitism.
“Through meticulous investigation, the film exposes how over decades, Hamas created sophisticated networks in America to permeate U.S. institutions, including universities through organizations like Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP).
“Highlighting stunning levels of social engineering, the film also exposes the tsunami of online antisemitism, propaganda, and disinformation unleashed by Iran, China and Russia designed to divide American society.”
Executive producer Debra Messing (left) and director-executive producer Wendy Sachs
Courtesy of Nina Wurtzel Photography
Sachs’ credits include the 2020 documentary Surge (co-directed with Hannah Rosenzweig); the 2022 documentary series Land of the Giants: Titans of Tech, and producing the documentary series My Generation: Gen Z that aired on MSNBC in October 2024.
“Since premiering [October 8] at CAA in October, we’ve had sold out screenings across the country,” Sachs tells Deadline exclusively. “The demand to see this film has been remarkable, and not just here in America, but around the world. I’m getting DMs, emails and texts from Melbourne and Mexico City to Montreal and Madrid.”
The filmmaker adds, “I’m thrilled to be working with Briarcliff Entertainment and Universal Pictures, and I’m excited for the film to be available in theaters and on streaming platforms for the world to be able to see this important documentary.”