Since @mgny441 asked, I've created a post here in case anyone wants to discuss films they've seen at TIFF this year. Feel free to add to the comments, but please try to keep it a discussion of the films themselves.
Thursday, September 15, 2016
Monday, September 05, 2016
Ticketing and Entry
I was talking with a friend about the new ticketing system for TIFF, and we were both wondering how this is going to work at each screening. Some random questions/thoughts:
- If you bought your tickets through the TIFF account manager site, then to use those tickets on a mobile device, you need to be able to connect to the internet to log into the mobile version of the TIFF account manager site and bring up your event.
- The mobile TIFF account manager site does appear to come up by default on phones, but when I tried a tablet, it defaulted to the full desktop site, which does not display mobile tickets. You can manually enter the URL of the mobile site at https://oss.ticketmaster.com/aps/m/tiff/EN/apimobile, and then it seems to work. So if you're thinking about using a tablet or an iPad, be sure you have the correct site bookmarked.
- If you bought your tickets through Ticketmaster proper, then their mobile app will show those tickets, but not any bought through the TIFF account manager from what I can see. I tried logging into the Ticketmaster app with my TIFF account manager credentials (which are separate from the credentials I use for Ticketmaster normally) and it would not log me in. I use the same e-mail address for both, however, so that likely is a problem; I don't know if it would be any different if I had different e-mail addresses for each account, but I suspect not.
- If you need to use the TIFF account manager site, as I expect many will, then how is this going to work in venues with limited cellular or wi-fi coverage? If you've ever been in the Lightbox, unless you're on the Bell network, you'll know that cell reception is terrible in that building. I guess you can fall back to wi-fi, but not every venue has public wi-fi, and you may not be close enough to connect until you're at the door.
- In past years, when they would let a screening in, it was quick and efficient, especially if they had pre-torn all the tickets; how is this going to work when they have to scan everyone in? What happens if people are fumbling around for their phones, or if the scanners have trouble reading the QR codes off the phones? Are they going to let people in earlier than they normally do to account for delays? It already takes forever to load up the Ryerson; can you imagine how long it's going to take if they scan every ticket?
- Speaking of the Ryerson, they usually take tickets at the doors to the main floor or on the stairs to the balcony; are they going to continue this, or will they scan people prior to entering the building?
- When my friend went to pick up our programme books, only one handheld scanner at the box office was working; it looked like the staff was trying to reboot the others. Is this kind of thing going to happen at the theaters? What's the backup plan?
I'd like to be optimistic, but I'm assuming the first day of the festival will be a complete gong show getting in, and then they'll work out all the kinks in the system. As an example, in past years, the lines are often a mess at some theaters on the first day until the staff and volunteers get organized and figure out a system.
Tuesday, August 30, 2016
2016 Ticket Trades
By popular request, I've created a page for comments for ticket trades. Only post here if you are willing to trade tickets, or sell for the value you paid for the ticket. Do not post here if you are simply looking for tickets or are trying to sell above face value; I may delete such comments (note that the range of prices for premium tickets is $49 to $56, and regular tickets is $25 to $32).
Double check any ticket before accepting it; I would not accept an under-25 or senior ticket unless you obviously fit that demographic, otherwise you risk not being admitted if TIFF chooses to check your ID on the way in the door.
Note that with the move to Ticketmaster, I don't know how exactly how ticket transfers will work especially since people can have TIFF-printed tickets, print-at-home, as well as mobile tickets. It looks like the new Ticketmaster system does allow for ticket transfers, and once you receive and accept the e-mail with the transfer, the instructions seem to indicate the ticket is yours at that point and can't be revoked or cancelled by the other person (I mention this as Toronto has been hit recently with a spate of people selling and then cancelling Presto transit cards). A transfer through Ticketmaster might be your safest bet, and then maybe TIFF-printed tickets; personally, I'd avoid accepting PDFs or print-at-home tickets.
Use the information here at your own risk; I do not know anyone who may be posting here, and any arrangements you make are strictly between you and the other person. If you have any issues, there is nothing I, nor the festival, nor Ticketmaster can do for you; you're on your own.
Note if you do post here, you should delete your comment once you have gotten rid of your ticket, so that you don't continue to get inquiries. If you have problems deleting your comment, post another letting me know, and I'll try to remove it when I get a chance.
Monday, August 29, 2016
TIFF 2016 Off-sale Screenings
By popular request, here is a posting for current off-sale films for TIFF 2016 (as of Sep 2 10:58 PM). Note that films that appear off-sale here may come back on-sale as tickets are released or if the festival releases additional inventory.
Please post additional off-sale (or films that come back on-sale) in the comments, but restrict any questions around the ticketing systems or issues with it to the previous post on this blog. Thanks!
Thursday, September 8
The Magnificent Seven
Toni Erdmann, 5:30 PM
Things to Come, 9:15 PM
Free Fire, 11:59 PM
Friday, September 9
Toni Erdmann, 12:15 PM
Graduation, 5:30 PM
Little Wing. 6:00 PM
A United Kingdom, 6:30 PM
American Pastoral, 6:30 PM
The Wedding Party, 6:30 PM
Marie Curie, The Courage of Knowledge, 6:45 PM
Wavelengths 1: The Fire Within, 7:00 PM
The Birth of a Nation, 8:00 PM, 9:00 PM
ARQ, 9:15 PM
Snowden, 9:30 PM
Saturday, September 10
Elle, 9:00 AM
American Pastoral, 10:00 AM
A United Kingdom, 11:15 AM
Trespass Against Us, 11:45 AM
Fire at Sea, 12:00 PM
The Cinema Travellers, 1:30 PM
The Ornithologist, 2:15 PM
The Magnificent Seven, 2:30 PM
The Journey, 3:30 PM
The Red Turtle, 3:45 PM
Citizen Jane: Battle for the City, 4:00 PM
The Death of Louis XIV, 6:30 PM
Queen of Katwe, 6:30 PM
Lion, 6:30 PM
Wavelengths 2: Incantati, 7:30 PM
Moonlight, 8:30 PM
Personal Shopper, 9:00 PM
The Handmaiden, 9:30 PMBelow Her Mouth, 9:30 PM
Sunday, September 11
Lion, 11:30 AM
Certain Women, 12:15 PM
Mascots, 2:45 PM
Kekszakallu, Lightbox 4, 3:00 PM
After the Storm, 4:30 PM
Julieta, 6:00 PM
Wavelengths 3: Post-performance, 6:00 PM
Loving, 6:30 PM
The Handmaiden, 8:30 PM
It's Only the End of the World, 9:15 PM, 9:30 PM, 9:45 PM
Nocturnal Animals, 10:00 PM
Blair Witch, 11:59 PM
Monday, September 12
Their Finest, 3:00 PM
The Dreamed Ones, 3:15 PM
La La Land, 6:15 PM
Wavelengths 4: Indefinite, 6:30 PM Norman: The Moderate Rise and Tragic Fall of a New York Fixer, 6:30 PM
Anatomy of Violence, 7:00 PM
I, Daniel Blake, 8:30 PM American Honey, 9:00 PM
Arrival, 9:30 PM
Tuesday, September 13
The Salesman, 5:45 PM
Manchester by the Sea, 6:00 PM
Deepwater Horizon, 6:30 PM
La La Land, 11:30 AM
Wednesday, September 14
Paterson, 9:00 AM
Manchester by the Sea, 11:30 AM
The Salesman, 1:00 PM
Prevenge, 9:15 PM
The Headhunter's Calling, 9:30 PM
Thursday, September 15
Graduation, 9:00 AM
Black Code, 12:30 PM
The Secret Scripture, 6:30 PM
The Terry Kath Experience, 8:15 PM
Friday, September 16
I, Daniel Blake, 6:00 PM
Paris Can Wait, 6:00 PM
La La Land, 9:30 PM
Certain Women, 12:00 PM
Nocturnal Animals, 5:45 PM
Edge of Seventeen, 8:00 PM
Sunday, September 18
Jackie, 3:45 PM
It's Only the End of the World, 9:30 PM
Tuesday, August 23, 2016
Schedule Available Today
The official schedule is out today for the festival. Programme books will be available for pickup at the Festival Box Office starting at 9:00 AM. New this year, you can print out your pickup voucher at home from the ticketing website, just bring it with you when you go to pick up your books.
If you bought a My Choice regular or premium ticket package, then yesterday you should have received an e-mail with instructions and your starting login time for selection. Starting at that time, and not before, you will be able to log into the ticketing site to select your films. I got an 11:00 AM start time next Monday as an example.
Other than there being a new site this year, the basic rules of the selection process seem to largely be the same:
- Selections and inventory are updated in real-time.
- You have a limited time window once you log in to make your selections.
- You receive vouchers if you don't select all your available screenings in your package.
- Once you submit your selections you cannot log back into the website to make changes.
One new change is that you no longer have to pick up your tickets in person; you can choose to use a mobile device or print your tickets at home.
Wednesday, July 13, 2016
New Ticketing System
If you are an existing TIFF Member, you should've received an e-mail instructing you on how to create a new online Membership account for the new ticketing system. The interesting thing is what is running the new ticketing site:
Thursday, June 23, 2016
TIFF 2016 Ticket Information and Dates
The festival has released dates and information about ticketing for the 2016 Toronto International Film Festival.
The festival has updated their website and ticketing experience. Existing members will have to setup a new Member account online; they will receive an e-mail on July 12 with instructions on how to setup their new online account. It will be interesting to see if they have made any performance improvements as well to handle to crush during individual ticket purchases.
New this year, the festival says that you will be able to print your tickets at home, use mobile tickets, and transfer e-tickets to friends, although you still have the option to pick up tickets in person from a box office if you prefer. I wonder how much this may cut down on the box office lines before and during the festival.
Dates for the festival can be found at the official TIFF site or at my page here: http://tifftalk.blogspot.ca/p/important-dates.html.
Existing Members will be able to purchase ticket packages at 2015 prices between July 18 and July 22. After that, everyone will have to pay 2016 prices which are below. In general, each package increased in total price by about $10 over last year (except for the Closing Night Gala which is still $205).
My Choice Regular Flex Package
10 tickets: $220
20 tickets: $420
30 tickets: $630
40 tickets: $840
50 tickets: $1,010
60 tickets: $1,210
70 rickets: $1,410
80 tickets: $1,610
90 tickets: $1,810
100 tickets: $2,010
My Choice Premium Flex Package
6 tickets: $405
My Choice Back-Half Package
6 tickets: $85
My Choice Daytime Package
20 tickets: $260
TIFF Choice Midnight Madness
10 tickets: $195, $130 Youth & Senior
TIFF Choice Wavelengths
7 tickets: $110, $90 Youth & Senior
TIFF Choice Daytime Sampler
5 tickets: $105, $90 Youth & Senior
TIFF Choice Evening/Weekend Sampler
5 tickets: $120, $105 Youth & Senior
TIFF Choice Premium Sampler
3 tickets: $165, $130 Youth & Senior
TIFF Choice Buzz List
5 tickets: $1,510
TIFF Choice Closing Night Gala Film + Cocktail Reception
1 ticket: $205
Individual Tickets
Regular Adult: From $25
Regular Youth & Senior: From $20
Regular Rush: $20
Premium Adult: From $49
Premium Youth & Senior: From $38
Premium Rush: $40
Official page: http://tiff.net/festivals/festival16/tickets
