Premium Screenings Are On The Rise at TIFF

It used to be that the premium screenings at TIFF were gala events at Roy Thomson Hall or the Elgin Theatre. This year there is a disturbing trend whereby the number of premium screenings has increased.

Why is this a big deal? Premium screening tickets cost $38.27 and limits your choice of screenings in the schedule. If you have a 10-ticket flex pack you can’t attend a premium screening.

Last year you could attend a world premiere or a North American premiere of a film with a 10-ticket flex pack or with some of the other film packages. This year you can’t and this is a huge disappointment to regular festival goers.

Blame Underfunded TIFF Bell Lightbox

It’s a money grab that I assume will help pay down the debt on underfunded TIFF Bell Lightbox - the new home of the festival. One of the commenters of a Globe and Mail story nails it on the head:

And, surprise, surprise, they’re likely to charge the unsuspecting general public more, either via tax dollars from their C.R.A.P cronies, or by charging even more exorbitant prices for film tickets. They certainly won’t short the industry goody bags, come festival season.

Yup. This year the ticket prices and tax have increased while the selection of film screenings for most ticket packages has decreased. The cost of the programme book is higher than Paris Hilton and you no longer get a swag bag with highlighters and Starbucks coffee. Can’t TIFF rename their new home TIFF Bell RBC Blackberry Lightbox and give festival goers a break on the exorbitant ticket prices?

Many of the gala films at Roy Thomson Hall really aren’t worth the hype or the money - Passchendaele, Burn After Reading, A Good Year, Revolver, Mrs. Harris, and Edison (which went straight to DVD). I generally stay away from the gala films knowing that many of them will be in theatres within weeks or months for a third of the price.

In previous years I was permitted to enjoyed the world and North American premieres of The Wrestler, Bad Lieutenant, and Mic Macs where the director and stars were on hand to discuss their films. Unfortunately that won’t be happening this year.

Posted in 2010 TIFF at 6:42 PM