To TIFF or not to TIFF?
I finally went to the Toronto International Film Festival after a very long hiatus and found it to be an enjoyable experience but I question if the bother is worth the pleasure.
Purchasing a single ticket is $25 (there is $4.50 service fee) which is double the entrance fee to a regular movie screening. I personally would rather see 2 movies but there are bonuses for seeing a movie at the Festival. Usually the director will attend the screening and make an opening commentary prior to the movie and answer questions from the audience following the movie. The director’s commentary certainly expands my comprehension of the movie - but is it worth $12? You can find similar Q&A on the internet with a quick search. You may also see some of the actors and crew sitting in the audience. Some people find the possibility of seeing or sitting near a celebrity very exciting. Since I don’t find it very exciting to see a celebrity and if I did see one I would just smile (or not smile as is the case when I saw Tie Domi) and move on, I would say that is not worth $12. Sometimes you get to see a movie that you would not otherwise get to see because no distributor will by the rights. If that is the case and the movie is a very good one and deeply movies you, such as the one I saw on Saturday, then yes it is worth the price. Certainly joining my friends in seeing movies they wanted to see is worth the price of admission because that is what friends do - support each other’s interests.
I also thought that the extra effort of buying tickets online and waiting in a line to pick them up would be too much of a bother and not worth my time but in reality there was no lineup for tickets — but you do need to go to the theatre well in advance of the start time to get good seats as they fill up quickly and I dread having to sit in the front rows.
Afterwards it is nice to go to Yorkville to go celebrity watching or, in my case, watching people watch celebrities. The city was awash with very good looking and well dressed people during TIFF - a great time to stroll about!
Happy TIFFing!
September 23rd, 2007 at 11:43 am
I wouldn’t recognize most actors/celebraties anyway. When an awards ceremony of such flashes by the screne I often ask who that person is but I rarely remember the response.
Never went to a film festival……can’t remember the last time I even went to a movie theatre…..almost went to one the other day but the thought of having to drive downtown made me change my mind.
Personally, I think people’s writings are talked too death…..it is like the third degree.