Saturday, August 25, 2012

My 2012 Films

My films for 2012 include:

  • Antiviral (Brandon Cronenberg, Canada): interested to see how his style compares to that of his father.
  • At Any Price (Ramin Bahrani, USA): with Dennis Quaid, Zac Effron, and Heather Graham. My friend really liked Goodbye Solo, another of Bahrani's films.
  • Blancanieves (Pablo Berger, Spain/France)
  • The Color of the Chameleon (Emil Christov, Bulgaria)
  • The Deflowering of Eva van End (Michiel ten Horn, The Netherlands)
  • The End of Time (Peter Mettler, Canada/Switzerland)
  • Ghost Graduation (Javier Ruiz Caldera): this one sounds fun.
  • How to Make Money Selling Drugs (Matthew Cooke, USA): sounds interesting, and where else are you going to find Susan Sarandon in the same film as 50 Cent?
  • Imagine (Andrzej Jakimowski, Poland/France/Portgual)
  • Imogene (Robert Pulcini, Shari Springer Berman, USA): with Kristen Wiig, Annette Bening, and Matt Dillon.
  • In Conversation With... Jackie Chan: couldn't pass this one up.
  • Key of Life (Kenji Uchida, Japan)
  • Laurence Anyways (Xavier Dolan, Canada/France): saw Dolan's last film, Heartbeats, at the festival.
  • A Liar's Autobiography - The Untrue Story of Monty Python's Graham Chapman (Ben Timlett, Bill Jones, Jeff Simpson, United Kingdom): can't believe it's been 23 years since Chapman died.
  • Love is All You Need (Susanne Bier, Denmark)
  • Motorway (Soi Cheang, Hong Kong): sounds great, plus saw Accident and many Johnnie To films at the festival before
  • Much Ado About Nothing (Joss Whedon, USA): was a fan of Firefly and Dollhouse, so curious to see what Whedon and his regular cast do with Shakespeare
  • Passion (Brian de Palma, France/Germany)
  • The Place Beyond the Pines (Derek Cianfrance, USA): saw Blue Valentine, so interested to see what Cianfrance and Gosling produce this time around
  • Room 237 (Rodney Ascher, USA)
  • Rust and Bone (Jacques Audiard, France/Belgium)
  • Smashed (James Ponsoldt, USA)
  • Storm Surfers 3D (Christopher Nelius, Justin McMillan, Australia): saw Pina in 3D last year; this is this year's 3D pick, and it sounds like it should take full advantage of the medium
  • Tai Chi 0 (Stephen Fung, Hong Kong): the director of Gen-X Cops and fight choreography by Sammo Hung? Sure, why not!
  • Thale (Aleksander L. Nordaas, Norway)
  • The Thieves (Choi Dong-hoon, South Korea)

TIFF 2012 My Choice Online Ticketing

If you bought a My Choice ticket package for TIFF 2012, then you will be able to select your films ahead of the actual festival. This page describes the process for selecting those films.

1. First, decide on which films you want to see, and when you want to see them. Make a list of the films and times and sort by date and then name. If you are selecting tickets for more than just yourself, then also note the number of tickets you want for each screening. This will make it faster to select your films. You may also want to note any backup choices in case your first choice is sold out.


2. Check the e-mail you received from TIFF with your start time. If you did not receive an e-mail, then contact TIFF customer service. On or after your start time, go to http://tiff.net/gettickets/packageticketselection. If you do not have access to a computer, then you can call or visit the Festival Box Office to make your selections on or after your start time.

Enter the e-mail address and the password you set up when you purchased your ticket package, along with the Package Code that was in your e-mail. If you received more than one Package Code, then you must complete each package one-at-a-time. Note that if you did not purchase all your packages in one transaction, then you may receive different start times for each package.


If the start time for your package has not yet arrived, the site will alert you that your e-mail address, password, and package code are correct, but that you cannot sign in yet. If you continue to get this message even after your start time, then contact TIFF customer service.

3. Once you have successfully signed in, you will see the screen below:


Note the instructions on the screen. Once you select your first screening, you will have 60 minutes to complete your selections and checkout. If you fail to checkout before the 60 minutes are up, your order will be cancelled out, and you will receive vouchers instead of your selected screenings. If you checkout but don't pick all your screenings, you will receive vouchers for the remaining tickets.

Note once you checkout and then log out of the system, you will not be able to re-enter with that package code. You must make all your selections in one shot.

4. Now you can begin to select your films. You can search for films by schedule (i.e. by date), or by title. People have generally reported more success with searching by schedule. Click on the day of the screening you want to see. In this case, we will click on Friday, September 7.


5. You will now see a listing of all the films on that day, along with the time of the screening.


If a particular screening is sold out, it will be marked as such instead of showing the time of the screening. In the image below, The Brass Teapot has been marked off sale and cannot be selected.


6. Scroll to the screening you desire and click the time. Here, we are picking Rust and Bone at 12:00 PM.

 

7. You will be taken to a window where you can select the number of tickets you want to use. If the dropdown is empty or only has a 0, then click the By Schedule button at the top of the screen and try again, or make one of your other choices first and then try the original film again.


8. Once you have selected your quantity of tickets, click the Add To Cart button at the bottom of the page. This will take you to your shopping cart where you can see your selections.


9. Repeat steps 4 to 8 for the remaining tickets in your package. You can check the total at the bottom of your shopping cart to see if you've used all your tickets yet.

Also keep an eye on the timer at the top of the page. Most people have completed their orders in under 30 minutes, but if a lot of your screenings are sold out and you end up searching for backups, you could eat up time quickly. TIFF recommends that you checkout before the timer gets to 5:00 remaining.

10. Once you have used all your tickets, click the Checkout button at the top of the page. The Checkout screen should already show your first name and last name. Re-enter your Package Code in the indicated field, and then click the Continue button.


11. On the confirmation screen, do one final check to make sure your screening selections are correct and that you've used up the proper number of tickets. If everything is ok, then click the "Yes, I have completed my package ticket selections" box and click the Submit button.


12. You should then see a Order Complete screen. Note the reservation number for your records. You will also receive this number in a confirmation e-mail, but it's probably a good idea to note it in case you don't get the e-mail.


13. You can pick up your tickets starting September 4 at the Festival Box Office at Metro Centre. You will need a print out of your confirmation e-mail, the credit card you used to purchase your package, and government-issued ID. TIFF Members can pick up their tickets at the Member Box Office or the Bell Lightbox (the latter only for Patrons Circle Members).

If you encounter any error messages while filling out your order online, try clicking the By Schedule or By Title buttons; do not try to logout. I got an error once, but I just clicked on the By Schedule button and was able to continue on; my session was still active and my shopping cart still had all my selections.



 

TIFF 2012 Sold Out Screenings

This post is a placeholder for people to add comments for any films that they notice as sold out when completing the online ticketing process for My Choice packages for TIFF 2012. Feel free to post a comment for anything you see as sold out when you log in to make your picks to help others out.

Update (2012/09/02 9:33 PM): Updated list with additional off-sales:

2012-09-06
After the Battle
End of Time, The
Far Out Isn't Far Enough: The Tomi Ungerer Story
Kinshasa Kids
Looper
On the Road
Rust and Bone
Ship of Theseus
Tabu

2012-09-07
7 Boxes
After the Battle
All That Matters is Past
Anna Karenina
Call Girl
Deep, The
How to Make Money Selling Drugs
Imogene
Like Someone in Love
Master, The
Me and You
Men at Lunch
On the Road
Out in the Dark
Pervert's Guide to Ideology, the
Picture Day
Place Beyond the Pines, The
Rust and Bone
Seven Psychopaths
Shanghai
Short Cuts Canada: Programme #1
Spring Breakers
Stories We Tell
Wasteland

2012-09-08
Amour
Anna Karenina
Argo
Attack, The
Blancanieves
Brass Teapot, The
Capital
Cloud Atlas
Color of the Chameleon, The
End of Time, The
End of Watch
Everybody Has a Plan
Imogene
Inch'allah
Jackie
Kon-Tiki
Liar's Autobiography: The Untrue Story of Monty Python's Graham Chapman, A
Lunarcy!
Master, The
Me and You
Men at Lunch
Much Ado About Nothing
Perks of Being a Wallflower, The
Picture Day
Place Beyond the Pines, The
Road North
Satellite Boy
Seven Psychopaths
Short Cuts Canada: Programme #1
Short Cuts Canada: Programme #2
Stories We Tell
Thanks for Sharing
Underground
Wasteland
Wavelengths 2: Documenta
West of Memphis
What Maisie Knew
Yellow

2012-09-09
7 Boxes
9.79*
American Masters: Inventing David Geffen
At Any Price
Blackbird
Brass Teapot, The
Byzantium
Call Girl
Central Park Five, The
Cloud Atlas
Deep, The
Gatekeepers, The
Ginger and Rosa
Holy Quaternity, The
I Declare War
In the Name of Love
Krivina
Last Supper, The
Like Someone In Love
Mea Maxima Culpa: Silence in the House of God
Mr. Pip
Much Ado About Nothing
Museum Hours
Perks of Being A Wallflower, The
Pusher
Reluctant Fundamentalist
Road North
Sapphires, The
Short Cuts Canada: Programme #2
Silver Linings Playbook
Something in the Air
Spring Breakers
Thermae Romae
Wavelengths 3: I Am Micro
When Day Breaks
Zaytoun

2012-09-10
Capital
Casting By
Color of the Chameleon, The
Company You Keep, The
End, The
Ghost Graduation
Hunt, The
Iceman
Inch'allah
Late Quartet, A
Lords of Salem, The
Love Is All You Need
Midnight's Children
No
No Place On Earth
Quartet
Short Cuts Canada: Programme #3
To The Wonder
Underground

2012-09-11
Arthur Newman
Camp 14: Total Control Zone
Disconnect
Eagles
Hyde Park on Hudson
Key of Life
Museum Hours
Mushrooming
My Awkward Sexual Adventure
Passion
Sapphires, The
Short Cuts Canada: Programme #3
Short Cuts Canada: Programme #4
What Richard Did

2012-09-12
Beyond the Hills
Clandestine Childhood
Ghost Graduation
Hijacking, A
Hunt, The
Imagine
Late Quartet, A
Leviathan
Reality
Short Cuts Canada: Programme #4

2012-09-13
Bright Day, The
Inescapable
My Awkward Sexual Adventure
Passion
Penance
Reality
Short Cuts Canada: Programme #6

2012-09-14
Arthur Newman
Ghost Graduation
Ginger and Rosa
Leviathan
Paperboy, The
Passion
Penance
Short Cuts Canada: Programme #6
Spring Breakers
Thieves, The

2012-09-15
Argo
Capital
Cloud Atlas
Dangerous Liaisons
English Vinglish
Everybody Has a Plan
Hannah Arendt
Me and You
Paperboy, The
Song for Marion
Thermae Romae

2012-09-16
Amour
Color of the Chameleon
Imogene
Master, The
Picture Day
Reluctant Fundamentalist, The
To The Wonder
Zaytoun

Initial Ticketing Experiences

On Twitter, appears people have been generally having favourable experiences with the new online system for picking tickets for the My Choice packages. One person mentioned an issue with quantities not showing up in a dropdown, but they said something about switching from alpha to date selection solved the problem.

I'll post more information once I've had a chance to go through the system myself.

Update (2012/08/25 8:48 AM): Check out In a TIFF for a description of the online ticketing process and some tips.

Update (2012/08/25 9:02 AM): Check out matthew5000's comment for more info on the process.

Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Actors, Directors, and Others Attending TIFF 2012

The list of actors, directors, and others attending or expected to attend the festival has been announced. The full list can be found here.

Some highlights of the people coming to the festival:

  • Ben Affleck
  • Paul Thomas Anderson
  • Alan Arkin
  • Gemma Arterton
  • Oliver Assayas
  • Yvan Attal
  • Penn Badgley
  • Doona Bae
  • Javier Bardem
  • Jason Bateman
  • Noah Baumbach
  • Monica Bellucci
  • Gael Garcia Bernal
  • Halle Berry
  • Jim Broadbent
  • Pierce Brosnan
  • Edward Burns
  • Ken Burns
  • Nick Cassavetes
  • Jackie Chan
  • Derek Cianfrance
  • Lily Collins
  • Jennifer Connelly
  • Bradley Cooper
  • Marion Cotillard
  • Bryan Cranston
  • Darren Criss
  • James Cromwell
  • Brandon Cronenberg
  • Penelope Cruz
  • James D'Arcy
  • Keith David
  • Robert De Niro
  • Brian De Palma
  • Catherine Deneuve
  • Johnny Depp
  • Xavier Dolan
  • Stephen Dorff
  • Fran Drescher
  • Kirsten Dunst
  • Robert Duvall
  • Zac Effron
  • Elle Fanning
  • Colin Farrell
  • America Ferrara
  • Ralph Fiennes
  • Sophie Fiennes
  • Colin Firth
  • Matthew Fox
  • James Franco
  • Patrick Fugit
  • Victor Garber
  • Costa-Gavras
  • Greta Gerwig
  • Selena Gomez
  • Michel Gondry
  • John Goodman
  • Joseph Gordon-Levitt
  • Ryan Gosling
  • Jake Gyllenhaal
  • Michael Haneke
  • Tom Hanks
  • John Hawkes
  • Garrett Hedlund
  • Christina Hendricks
  • Emile Hirsch
  • Dustin Hoffman
  • Kate Hudson
  • Helen Hunt
  • Ice-T
  • Michael Ignatieff
  • Rian Johnson
  • Terry Jones
  • Neil Jordan
  • Chen Kaige
  • Catherine Keener
  • Anna Kendrick
  • Greg Kinnear
  • Keira Knightley
  • Harmony Korine
  • Olga Kurylenko
  • Hugh Laurie
  • Jude Law
  • Jennifer Lawrence
  • Nicholas Lea
  • Spike Lee
  • Tommy Lee Jones
  • Jared Leto
  • Barry Levinson
  • Laura Linney
  • Ray Liotta
  • William H. Macy
  • Rachel McAdams
  • Ewan McGregor
  • Deepa Mehta
  • Eva Mendes
  • Mads Mikkelsen
  • Julianne Moore
  • Viggo Mortensen
  • Bill Murray
  • Mira Nair
  • Mike Newell
  • Alessandro Nivola
  • Chris O'Dowd
  • Gwyneth Paltrow
  • Paula Patton
  • Oliver Platt
  • Sarah Polley
  • Francois Ozon
  • Dennis Quaid
  • Robert Redford
  • Vanessa Redgrave
  • Joely Richardson
  • Tim Robbins
  • Sam Rockwell
  • Saoirse Ronan
  • Eli Roth
  • Mark Ruffalo
  • Salman Rushdie
  • David O. Russell
  • Winona Ryder
  • Vik Sahay
  • Walter Salles
  • Andy Samberg
  • Adam Sandler
  • Susan Sarandon
  • Liev Schreiber
  • Will Smith
  • Snoop Lion
  • Michael Shannon
  • Molly Shannon
  • Alexander Siddig
  • Alexander Skarsgard
  • Maggie Smith
  • Will Smith
  • David Spade
  • Timoth Spall
  • Terence Stamp
  • Kristen Stewart
  • Kiefer Sutherland
  • Bruce Sweeney
  • Audrey Tautou
  • Juno Temple
  • Billy Bob Thornton
  • Marisa Tomei
  • Tom Tykwer
  • Karl Urban
  • Andy Wachowski
  • Lana Wachowski
  • Emma Watson
  • Naomi Watts
  • Hugo Weaving
  • Joss Whedon
  • Ben Whishaw
  • Kristen Wiig
  • Bruce Willis
  • Mary Elizabeth Winstead
  • Michael Winterbottom
  • Joe Wright
  • Zhang Ziyi
  • Slavoj Zizek
  • Rob Zombie

Tuesday, August 21, 2012

2012 Programme Book Gift Bag

If you pre-ordered the Programme Book, you should have gotten it with a gift bag (while supplies last). This year's gift bag included:

  • A tote bag sponsored by Timberland
  • A 237 ml bottle of Diet Coke
  • A container lined with freezer gel to keep food cold, from May Family Farms, and a $1 off coupon for deli meats
  • A container of mints from Audi
  • A box of matches from Weslodge Saloon
  • A condom and a package of lubricant from Durex
  • A bag of Orville Redenbacher popcorn and a coupon for one free bag
  • A buy-one-get-one-free coupon for a McDonald's McCafe beverage
  • A postcard from the Drake Hotel
  • A $5 coupon for Veet EasyWax electrical roll-on kit
  • A map of the festival venues from Timberland
  • A copy of Motivated magazine
  • A card outlining the benefits of TIFF membership
  • The Official Film Schedule
  • The Programme Book

Monday, August 20, 2012

Ticket Selection Windows for TIFF 2012

Today, August 20, 2012, TIFF sent out notifications of the ticket selection windows for anyone who purchased a My Choice ticket package. If you didn't receive a notification by e-mail, I suggest you check your junk mail folder or contact TIFF customer support if you really didn't get anything, but do it before August 23.

Starting August 21, the official film schedule will be released, which lists all the movies at this year's festival, and the dates and times at which the movies will be shown. You can view the schedule online, or pick up a paper copy at the Festival Box Office. If you purchased a Programme Book, you should also be able to pick it up starting on the 21st.

For TIFF Members, ticket selection will occur between August 23 and August 26. For non-TIFF Members, ticket selection will occur between August 26 and August 29. Your actual start time will have been e-mailed to you. Note that if you bought a Back Half or Daytime package, your ticket window will actually occur sometime between September 3 and 5.

If you bought multiple packages, you apparently will receive a separate login for each package. However, if you bought all your packages in the same transaction, you will get the same start time for all of them, but you may still have to login separately for each one.

You can make your selections online at the TIFF website anytime between your allotted start time and 7:00 PM on August 29. If you fail to make your selections by the 29th, then you must wait until 10:00 AM on September 3. You have from then until 7:00 PM on September 5. If you still fail to make your selections within that second period, after that you'll get vouchers that you can redeem for tickets, but you'll have to line up at the box office in person to do so.

If you don't have a computer to make your selections online, you can go to the Festival Box Office starting at your allotted time and the staff will assist you.

When you log into the site to make your selections, you must pick all your films in that session. You cannot make some of your selections, log out, and then log in again at a later date to finish. Once you log in, best information at this point indicates you may only have one hour to complete your selections, so plan your picks ahead of time. For example, if you bought a 60-pack, you would have to select one film on average every minute to complete on time.

Note that if you get a start time of say 8:00 AM on August 27, you don't have to log in at that very moment. You can login anytime from that start time until 7:00 PM on August 29. Whenever you do log in, you will have one hour to make your picks.

If you fail to make all your picks within your session, you will receive vouchers for the remaining films, which you can redeem at the Festival Box Office starting September 4.

Some tips:

  • Since you have a limited amount of time to select your screenings, plan your choices in advance. The full schedule will be available starting August 21, so you'll likely have a few days to plan out the films you want to see before your window opens.
  • Pick multiple backup choices in case your first choice is already sold out, especially if you are picking screenings likely to be more popular (e.g. ones with a famous cast or a lot of buzz). You may not have enough time available to pick an alternate on the fly.
  • The site may not prevent you from selecting conflicting screenings, so the onus is on you to make sure your screenings do not overlap. Don't forget to leave time to get from one film to another, and don't forget to account for the fact screenings may start late or run long with Q&A sessions (i.e. avoid scheduling movies within 30 minutes of one another unless they are in the same theatre, as you'll likely never make it).

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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