Talk of ticketing troubles, lengthy lineups, and pretentious poseurs toting well-thumbed festival programs are enough to deter intimidated amateur filmgoers from checking out the Toronto International Film Festival.
But with this savvy guide, even the wariest newbies can take advantage of advice from seasoned filmgoers to make the most out of the festival without even breaking a sweat.
Ticketing tactics
"If you want to maximize the film-going experience, choose your list of must-see films and schedule them first. Try to avoid the films that will be released in theatres soon, usually the galas, unless you are very, very desperate," Raymond Yick, founder and developer of tiffreviews.com and regular TIFF volunteer, told CTV.ca.
You can purchase advance tickets online, by phone at 416-968-FILM or by visiting the year-round box office or festival box office. Advance tickets can be ordered until 7 p.m. the night before a screening.
If tickets are listed as "off sale," be sure to check back as new inventory may become available.
If a screening is not sold out, any remaining tickets will be made available, by phone or at the year-round and festival box offices at 7 a.m. on the day the film will be screened.
Tickets are also available at the theatre box office one hour before the day's first screening.
Be strategic, blogTO Publisher Tim Shore suggests.
Logic dictates that bigger theatres, like the Elgin and Varsity, present more opportunities for getting your hands on much-coveted rush tickets.
Though the more popular films are often sold out, "usually they are playing two or three times during the festival, so if you don't need to see the premiere, quite often you can see an afternoon or even morning showing of the same film," Shore told CTV.ca.
Also be sure to subscribe to TIFF's online alerts, through which you will receive daily emails on which screenings will have same-day tickets available.
Take a chance
Throw caution to the wind and try a film from an obscure Danish filmmaker or elusive French artiste instead of the premiere everyone has been buzzing about.
Chances are a film that is being screened as a gala will find its way on to the screen at your local theatre, but that most indie and foreign features will fade into oblivion once the festival's curtains close.
"Realistically you might not always get into movie you want to see, but you know what? There are 360 some odd movies and probably 320 of them are really worth seeing - so the chances of you seeing something great are high -- even if you haven't heard of it," Canada AM film critic Richard Crouse told CTV.ca.
Yick forms his own shortlist by heeding the advice of critics and researching past film festivals.
"Babel, for example, turned a lot of heads at Cannes," Yick told CTV.ca of the Brad Pitt film.
Devour festival-related media
Though TIFF organizers produce a complete festival programme every year, it may be more than a typical filmgoer may wish to invest at $32 a pop, Shore said.
Reading capsule reviews in the newspaper are a good starting point for clueless cineastes who don't know where to begin, Crouse suggests.
Once you jot down films that are of interest, log on to the Internet Movie Database to find out more about the movie and its director to refine your shortlist.
Indulge in star-spotting
In between films, stretch your legs by taking a saunter through some of Toronto's tony neighbourhoods and be sure to keep a pen and camera handy.
"Walk up and down Bloor Street between the Manulife Centre at Bay Street all the way to the St. George subway and you are bound to see somebody," Crouse said.
Seriously star-struck fans take it one step further by skulking outside known celebrity haunts.
Year after year, celeb-spotters camp outside Bloor Street's Hotel InterContinental, squeeze lemons at upscale grocery store Whole Foods Market, and stake out a spot outside the back entrances of theatres that stealthy stars are apt to use.
"The Yorkville area is usually a good spot just because a lot of them tend to be staying at the Four Seasons. A lot of the press junkets are around there but there are also some of the typical bars and party places where celebs are prone to hangout," Shore told CTV.ca, adding that some of the hottest venues include Lobby, the Drake Hotel, and the Spoke Club.
"Another good place to spot them is outside some of the premieres, like the galas at Roy Thomson hall," Shore said.
Take your vitamins
"If you're really going to take 10 days off to do the festival from top to bottom, I suggest getting a haircut before, learn how to eat standing up, get some sleep, and take some vitamins," Crouse said.
- Mary Nersessian, CTV.ca
