A Novice’s Guide to getting TIFF tickets

I’ve recently had a couple of friends who’ve never attended the Toronto International Film Festival ask me where to find a schedule of the movies and how to get tickets, so I thought I’d share the answer with everyone.

Starting tomorrow, the full list of films including synopsis and screening times will be available on the TIFF website, it’s a daunting list of hundreds so put aside a few hours for reading.  Alternatively, browse by programs and narrow it down to the types of films you’re interested in.  A number of films have already been announced with partial synopsis and images posted on the website, I’ve personally started a short list from those.  When making your short list, stay open-minded and include all options, the more diverse and flexible your list, the greater your chances of enjoying the festival.

Believe it or not, going through the films is the easy part.  Once the schedule is up you’re gonna want to double check all the films you’ve “short-listed” (if you’re particularly anal you might go and re-read all the synopsis you’ve rejected, just to make sure you haven’t overlooked anything) to see if a) they’re still of interest and b) if they’re screening at times & locations where/when you will be available.  Next we get into the money variable.  I’m not just talking how much you want to spend in total, but also how much you’re willing to spend on each film.  Since I’m targeting novices here, the majority of you will not have a pass or vouchers, meaning every show equals money spent.  Look at your films carefully, online and in the Official Film Schedule, some films will be marked as “Premium Screenings”, this means there will be talent (ie director/cast) in attendance with some sort of red carpet (“red carpet” sounds all glamorous, but that’s really all it is, a red carpet, you don’t get to walk on it next to Brad Pitt, nor do you get handed a glass of champagne at the entrance).  It also means you’ll be paying $40 to get in instead of the usual $20, quite a hit to the wallet for most of us.  If you desperately need to share the air and try to catch Brad Pitt’s eye from across a crowded room, then maybe you’ll want to pay the $40, but otherwise the 2^nd screening (usually a day or 2 later) at the regular price is a much better option.  So double check that before heading to the box office or you could be in for a surprise at checkout.

Maybe you’re a little conflicted, there’s 4 great films all screening on Tuesday night when, not to worry, put these films in order of preference and bring the whole list to the box office (or online) with you.  Lines are long, tickets are often limited, so your additional options are gonna come in handy when Brad’s film is sold out and instead of walking away empty-handed and having to line up again later after you find an alternative film, you’ll know right away to ask for a ticket to Jason Statham’s film instead. (Disclaimer:  These examples do not reflect my actual film/actor preferences)

There are several ways to get your tickets.  If you’re paying regular price, it’s usually fastest to buy online.  If you choose to purchase in person there are still a few different ways to go about it.  At the main box office, in the concourse level of Metro Centre this year (underground near King & John), you can purchase all your tickets in advance where available.  Be prepared to wait a while in line, especially during the first half of the festival and during peak hours (lunch, after work).  Each venue also has its own box office where same day tickets are sold, they usually open one hour before the first screening of the day.  Finally there’s this thing called “Rush” which is essentially a line that forms 1 to 2 hours before a screening for the chance to get last minute tickets (sometimes tickets reserved for the filmmakers or special guests are returned, or sponsors with large blocks of seats don’t need them all, or people just don’t show up… all these seats are counted minutes before the show starts and resold to those in the Rush line).  Sounds pretty iffy?  Well actually it’s not, depending on the venue.  If you’re among the first 20-30 at venues such as Ryerson and the Elgin, you’ll mostly likely get in.  So while it is a bit of a time commitment, your dedication usually pays off.  If you’re up for any movie provided it’s at a certain day/time, hop into the rush line at one of the multiplexes like AMC or Scotiabank where 2 or 3 different movies will go in around the same time, and you will definitely get into one of the movies.

What to expect at TIFF:  This isn’t your average movie-going experience.  Don’t expect to show up, buy a ticket, and go in.  The one thing you are sure to encounter at TIFF is LINE-UPS.  Some people find this frustrating and the time commitment for going to a single movie a bit too much.  I don’t blame them, much as I love TIFF, I realize it’s not for everyone.  You do all this movie research, pick you films, line up for tickets, fail to get tickets, line up for tickets again, and if you’re lucky to get advance tickets… you still have to line up to get into the movie theatre!  I spend a lot of time walking up and down Yonge Street manning the ticketholders line at the Elgin and Winter Garden Theatre, and people are constantly in disbelief when they show up 45 mins before the show and ticketholders line has snaked north up Yonge, east on Shutter, and back down Victoria Street (this happens at least twice a day).

This can also be viewed as signs of enthusiasm and dedication though, these thousands of moviegoers, they’re hardcore!  If you can tap into their energy and excitement, strike up a conversation, and be part of the positive atmosphere, you will have a great time at the festival.  There’s much more I can tell you about the festival, but even better for you to experience it for yourself.  Single tickets go on sale to the general public on September 3^rd.  Happy TIFF-ing everyone!