Monday, July 07, 2008

Ticket Packages

As mentioned in the previous post, you can now buy packages for the 2008 Toronto International Film Festival online at http://www.tiff08.ca/, by phone at (416) 968-FILM or 1-877-968-FILM, or at the Festival Box Office at the Manulife Centre, 55 Bloor St W, Toronto, 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM, Monday - Saturday. Until July 14, you can only pay by Visa, regardless of how you order. From July 14 on, you can pay by Visa, cash, or debit card.

You don't have to buy a package now to attend the festival. You can also buy individual tickets at a premium starting August 23, or for regular prices starting September 3. Packages allow you access to multiple films pre-selected by the festival, or they allow you to participate in the advanced lottery process whereby you can select films before they go on sale to the general public.

A summary of the packages is below. See the festival site for complete details. Fees below are in Canadian dollars and do not include tax, building fund fee, or service charges.

Some things to note:

  • The 1o-ticket Package is back!
  • But unfortunately, you now have to buy a separate Premium ticket package to see Visa Screening Room films. Note that both Visa Screening Room packages sold out the first day, so possibly the only way to see these films now is to buy individual tickets when they go on sale to the general public.
  • A new student day pass is available.
  • If you do not live in Toronto and want to buy a regular package and participate in the advanced ticket lottery, you should purchase the out-of-town service along with a regular package. But this is only available until August 21.

Regular Packages

Festival Package
$509 ($431 for students and seniors)
See up to 50 films (one ticket per film).
Cannot see Roy Thomson Hall galas or Visa Screening Room films.
Can participate in the advanced lottery.

Festival Lite Package
$375 (no discount for students and seniors)
See up to 30 films (one ticket per film).
Cannot see Roy Thomson Hall galas or Visa Screening Room films.
Can participate in the advanced lottery.

Daytime Package
$196 ($157.50 for students and seniors)
See up to 25 films (one ticket per film, each must start before 5:01 PM).
Cannot see Roy Thomson Hall galas or Visa Screening Room films.
Can participate in the advanced lottery.

Daytime Lite Package
$135 (no discount for students and seniors)
See up to 15 films (one ticket per film, each must start before 5:01 PM).
Cannot see Roy Thomson Hall galas or Visa Screening Room films.
Can participate in the advanced lottery.
This package is currently sold out.

10-Ticket Package
$154.50 (no discount for students and seniors)
See up to 10 films (four tickets per film).
Cannot see Roy Thomson Hall galas or Visa Screening Room films.
Can participate in the advanced lottery.

Family Package
$76.72
2 adult and 2 children's tickets to 2 out of the 4 films in the Sprockets programme.
Can participate in the advanced lottery.

Programme Book
$32 (no discount for students or seniors)
This book lists all the films at the festival with descriptions and colour photos.
Makes a nice souvenir.
Not required for the advanced lottery, but may make it easier to select your films.

Out-of-Town Ticket Selection Services
$150 (no discount for students or seniors)
Must be selected in conjunction with the Festival, Festival Lite, Daytime, Daytime Lite, or 10-ticket Packages.
For those patrons who do not live in Toronto but want to participate in the advanced lottery.
Includes a Programme Book.
Only available until Thursday, August 21, 2008.

Programme Book Courier Service
$100 (no discount for students or seniors)
Includes a Programme Book.
Does not allow you to participate in the advanced lottery unless you buy another package, but then you would likely purchase the Out-of-Town Ticket Selection Services instead.


Specialty Packages

Festival Experience Package
$63.42 daytime, $68.54 weekends/evenings (no discount for students and seniors)
3 films are pre-selected for you.
For the daytime package, films are guaranteed to start between 8:30 AM and 5:01 PM.
For the weekend/evening package, films are guaranteed to start after 5:30 PM on weekdays or anytime on the weekend.
No substitutions or exchanges of films allowed.
Cannot participate in the advanced lottery.

Globetrotter Package
$99.23 daytime, $112.53 weekends/evenings (no discounts for students and seniors)
6 films are pre-selected for you.
For the daytime package, films are guaranteed to start between 8:30 AM and 5:01 PM.
For the weekend/evening package, films are guaranteed to start after 5:30 PM on weekdays or anytime on the weekend.
No substitutions or exchanges of films allowed.
Cannot participate in the advanced lottery.

Wavelengths Package
$66.49 (no discounts for students and seniors)
1 ticket to each of the 6 Wavelengths screenings.
Cannot participate in the advanced lottery.

Midnight Madness Package
$156.51 ($100 for students and seniors)
1 ticket to each Midnight Madness screening.
Cannot participate in the advanced lottery.

TIFF Student Card
$19.29 for one day
Can see multiple films on a given day from the first screening to 11:59 PM.
When purchasing, must select the date for the student card.
Must have valid student ID.
Films are selected the morning of the day selected.
Cannot participate in the advanced lottery.


Premium Packages

Visa Screening Room Package
$350 (no discount for students and seniors)
1 ticket to each of the Visa Screening room films from September 5 to 12.
Available for either 6:00 PM or 9:00 PM showings.
Cannot participate in the advanced lottery.
Both the 6:00 PM and 9:00 PM packages are sold out.

Closing Night Gala
$175 (no discount for students and seniors)
1 ticket to the closing night gala at Roy Thomson Hall.
Invitation to an exclusive pre-screening cocktail party.
Cannot participate in the advanced lottery.

TIFF 08 Packages On Sale Now

Packages for the 2008 Toronto International Film Festival went on sale this morning, for Visa card holders. You can buy packages if you want to participate in the advanced ordering process, where you pick films before the festival starts. If you just want to buy individual tickets to films, you have to wait until September to do so. If you want to buy packages by cash or debit, you can do so starting July 14. Note that the fesitval doesn't accept any other credit cards except Visa.

To purchase tickets online with a Visa card, go to the festival site at http://www.tiff08.ca/ and click the Buy Tickets link at the top-right of the page.

Subsequent postings will describe the packages in more detail, but some interesting things to note for this year:

  • The 10-pack of tickets is back this year.

  • The 30-pack has been renamed to the Festival Lite Package.

  • There are a number of student packages that allow you to see multiple films during a single day, all for the price of $19.95, with valid student ID.

  • Many of the packages, including the 10-pack and the Festival Lite package will not allow you to select films at the Visa Screening Room at the Elgin as well as the galas at Roy Thomson Hall.

This last point is new and I imagine it will generate a lot of negative feedback. Previously, package holders could select films at the Visa Screening Room. Last year I saw about two films there, including The Diving Bell and the Butterfly.

The big change last year was that they put individual tickets for the Visa screening room on sale early, but package holders could still buy Visa tickets. But this year they've cut that out.

There are separate passes for the Visa Screening Room, but they are currently sold out.



My experiences at the Toronto International Film Festival. Note this blog is not affiliated with the Toronto International Film Festival Group or the festival itself.
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