Tuesday, August 24, 2010

New Changes for 2010

A few interesting things to note this year from looking at the ticket package:

  • Unlike what Google Maps indicates, the Festival Box Office is at the southwest corner of King and Peter Streets (Bing Maps gets it right).
  • Premium screenings are indicated in the Official Film Schedule by 4 stars on the right-hand side of the timeblock for the screening.
  • The instructions clearly state you can only use vouchers for Regular public screenings and not Premium screenings, so don't pick the Premium screenings in your selections. It looks like the Advance Order Book does not include the Premium screenings.
  • Premium screenings can occur in any theatre, not just Roy Thomson Hall and the Visa Screening Room. For example, Ryerson and Isabel Bader now have Premium screenings.
  • In the general policies, it specifies that you cannot save seats inside the theatre. I don't remember seeing that explicitly mentioned before, and it will be interesting to see how aggressively they enforce that.
  • In previous years, if you bought a Programme Book, you received a tote bag filled with goodies when you picked up your order form. Apparently this year you only receive something later (probably when you pick up your completed order, but I'm not clear on how they will know which people bought Programme books and which didn't, which used to be the determining factor in getting a bag).

The Advance Order Book looks similar to last year's, so the process should be the same as in 2009, but I'll be updating my ticketing guide shortly.

8 comments:

The biggest change for diehards will be the near-elimination of weekday morning and early afternoon screenings. They've added four slots on the last Sunday and all but removed 11 slots. (More if you count the reduced options for the first Thursday.) Unless you a) do very well in the lottery and b) you happen to want to see one of the 2-4 titles playing in any early weekday slot, your festival pass will be getting you into fewer movies. If you're used to seeing 48-50, get used to seeing 40-44.

Yeah, there's a lot of stuff they left off their "What's New in 2010" list! The extra day of films on Sunday is somewhat of a red herring given the elimination of those earlier screenings!

I suppose I can start seeing more Midnight Madness knowing I won't have to be up so early the next morning!

i've been purchasing the day pass (25 films) for years. Last year I stayed in Toronto for most of the festival, but previous years, and this year, I have/will take the train/bus in from Barrie so am limited to films between 9 and 5ish during the weekdays.

So I've paid this money to see maybe what, 2 films per day on weekdays and may be hard pressed to even accomplish this as the venue most convenient in years past isn't showing any films in the morning on weekdays at all (ScotiaBank). Unbelievable!

Wish there was some way to get my money back! I wasn't even going to purchase this year due to surgery to eradicate cancer...but no, there was no way cancer was going to stop me from seeing my beloved films. TIFF has done that for me...thanks a lot!

Yes, I realize I'm venting and this isn't the official site...please forgive my rant

Anyway too tell if something is a premium screening from tiff.net? Haven't picked up my stuff yet but am checking online first.

Doesn't look like there's anyway to tell premium screenings on TIFF.net. I looked at one screening I know is premium from the schedule, but it doesn't look any different on the site.

If you don't mind a link to another site, I've posted a list of premium screenings at the TIFFReviews.com Forum.

I am pleased to say that TIFF has reimbursed me the cost of the day pass. I'm out the FedEx charges for out-of-town service and the charge for the programme book, but am very happy.

Not “The People’s Festival” anymore. Don’t expect to get a premium experience at TIFF this year unless you are willing to pay a premium price. Several devoted festival goers are about to find out that “your choice ticket package” has a lot less choice this year. This year donors will have all orders, ticket packages, single tickets and premium tickets processed before the general public.. Gheesh I hope there is something left by Sept 3rd. You can’t even buy premium tickets until then and I imagine by that time premium screenings will be sold out.

What happened to the days where you at least had a chance of getting into a film premier and having a true TIFF experience?

This festival has become elitist and I am going to find a new smaller festival to attend that appreciates the dedicated people who fill up the 80% of the seats and are not donors.

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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