Amielle Christopherson: So You Want To Attend A Film Festival?

Words by Amielle Christopherson

Approximately one month ago, the Toronto International Film Festival closed its doors for the 2011 season. There were a lot of good moments had by everyone present, most of whom were not A-list or B-list actors but rather ordinary people with an extraordinary love for film and a sheer enthusiasm for the opportunity to be among others of that ilk.

If you’re reading this, you probably thrill at the prospect of spending hours in a rush line waiting for tickets to a sold-out show; or standing in a crowd of people at the back entrance of a screening venue in the hopes of glimpsing your favorite star as they get into a black sedan; or spending every last minute of daylight in some dark theatre or another in an attempt to cram in a minimum of five film screenings a day. If, however, you’re wondering what could possibly drive hundreds of thousands of people to constantly wade through crowded streets to get from one theatre to another, or to wait in line for 20 minutes to get coffee from one of the only Tim Hortons within the area, let me try to explain the appeal.

1. The first reason is perhaps the one most people can relate to: people are fascinated with movie stars and the glamour that follows them. TIFF is one of the most laid-back film festivals around, in large part due to the actors, who for the most part take time to sign autographs and have pictures taken with fans—many of whom will wait hours to get that elusive autograph or photo.
2. The festival provides the chance to see a movie before the majority of other people get to see it. There is a thrill to knowing that you’re getting to see a movie weeks—if not months—in advance of the general public. In fact, some festival films don’t even make it to theatres, making the festival your only chance to see them in a theatre and on a giant screen.
3. What’s more, a lot of the screenings lead into Q&A sessions with the actors and filmmakers. Terence Davies, Tom Hiddleston, and Rachel Weisz came to answer questions after a showing of their film The Deep Blue Sea, and it was amusing, enlightening, and absolutely wonderful to get to see them interacting with the fans and each other.
4. Thus far, I’ve more or less painted a picture of an event catering solely to those obsessed with spotting stars and adding to their autograph collection. However—and this is the most compelling reason to attend a festival—there are others who are there almost solely for the films. During the first film I ever saw at a festival (ever), I was seated next to a fascinating woman from Philadelphia who’d been coming to TIFF for the last three or four years. Not only was she a wealth of information on what to do differently next time, she was also extremely encouraging about younger people coming to the festival and trying new things. (What’s more, she was a real trooper: she was there all 10 days, watching four to five films each day. Wow!)

Now that you’ve realized that navigating a film festival isn’t quite as harrowing an experience as you first thought, where do you start? Here’s some general advice—some gathered from festival first-timers, others from veterans (such as my wonderful Philadelphian friend).

1. Book your hotel in advance. This sounds like the most common sense thing to do. I didn’t decide to go until a few days before the festival started, and ended up having to stay in a hotel on the edge of the city. Map out the festival area and find hotels that are in the area and book about six months prior to the festival. It helps you stay centered—and, more importantly, ensures that you have a place to go and eat, freshen up, or even take a nap if things get to be a bit too much. It also means that you won’t have to wake up at 7 a.m. in order to be on time for your 9 a.m. film because of the hour-long commute from your hotel to the festival area. (If that is what ends up happening, however, don’t worry: Toronto’s public transportation system is fantastic and you’ll get to where you want to go without too much problem.)
2. Let TIFF plan your festival. TIFF is great this way—they have packs of tickets you can choose for the days you’re planning on attending. This is an especially good idea if you’re a first time festival-goer. Now, this being said, I’m a bit internet-illiterate, and TIFF’s website was especially difficult for me to navigate. It was overwhelming trying to remember what each film was about while purchasing individual tickets, which is why I gave up and stood in line instead. Things worked out well for me, but that might not always be the case; if you’re web-savvy enough to figure it out, planning your trip online will guarantee you tickets to films, even if they aren’t what you would have necessarily picked for yourself. Even then, TIFF has you fill out a questionnaire about what kinds of films you enjoy in order to make sure that, say, those who still suffer nightmares from when they saw Evil Dead during its 1981 opening weekend don’t end up with tickets to a horror film—which allows you to surpass most of the guesswork.
3. Keep things minimal. Bringing a car to the festival—whether yours or rented—is really just a nuisance. Between the influx of traffic and the blocked off streets, you’ll spend hours searching for a parking space that will inevitably end up being so far away that walking would have been faster in the first place. For that matter, dress wisely, especially if you’re planning on seeing a few films in a day: make sure you’re wearing suitable shoes, layers that you’re comfortable with carrying in case it gets too warm, and clothes you can breathe in so you’re not wiggling in your seat. What’s more, considering the size of some of the crowds, space can get a bit tight and having too big of a bag makes it hard to maneuver—as well as making it more difficult for people to get in and out of the theatre rows. Keep your purse small—your back and arms will thank you at the end of the day.
4. Be reasonable about your limitations. So you took my suggestion and bought a pack of tickets from TIFF. Great!—except that it was for five films a day for five days and you’re wondering where you’re going to get the energy to sit through all that. Guess what? You don’t have to! You don’t have to watch all the movies included in the pack if you don’t feel you’re up to it. See what you know you have the energy for. However, if you know you won’t be going to a film, try and find someone (ideally, in the spirit of spreading the joy, another festival first-timer) who would love to see that particular film and didn’t manage to get a ticket. I know people who have just given their unused tickets away, sold them for a discount—or, in the case of particularly in-demand screenings, have even been paid extra. Whatever you do, please don’t let your tickets go to waste.
5. Be open to the TIFF experience. Even if—despite all of your careful planning and precautions—something doesn’t go exactly as you’d like it, don’t worry. That’s usually when you end up meeting someone fantastic and interesting or spotting that star you’ve spent the past three days on the look-out for. If that’s not the case, however, use this time and take the opportunity to sit down and enjoy the happy chaos around you. TIFF is not meant to stress you out; it’s an experience meant for you to enjoy and be a part of and experience. If you’re there, you probably have some sort of an interest in film that lies beyond just wanting to snag an autograph as a star rushes by (although that’s also exhilarating). The thing to remember is: you’re surrounded by other people who are there to also experience and see and be moved. Don’t let one bad thing—or even a series of mishaps—discolor your TIFF mood. Sit down, take a breather, grab a Tim’s, and figure out where to restart.

That’s the wonderful thing about TIFF: for ten days, people get to have little wishes granted to them at the oddest, most beautiful moments. Why shouldn’t one of those people be you?