TIFF 2010: Not so much "The People's Festival"

First of all, hello. I'm still alive. Apparently this blog has primarily become a place where I can keep an annual TIFF diary and then sporadically write some stuff between festivals. Thanks to those who've told me to get off my ass and write more...maybe I'll give that a shot this year.

In the meantime I need to get a bit of a rant off my chest.

Tuesday was the official schedule release for TIFF this year and I showed up bright and early to grab my envelope and programme book, eager to get to my desk and start flipping through the pages and marking off potential movies.

And then I came across the PREMIUM SCREENING STARS.

See those little black bars with the 4 stars on the right hand side of the boxes? Those indicate that the showing has been classified a "Premium Screening" and not a regular public screening and thus are ineligible for the advance order process and packages.

Now, trust me, I know that I'm not the first person to complain about TIFF getting more expensive and "elite" every year. See here, here, and here for some examples. But dammit, I'm getting sick of the 'not for profit' group trying to get as much money out of me as they can. Apparently here's one of the things that's "New in 2010"...

"We have redefined our definition of a premium screening around the experience you will have. These screenings are World or North American premieres and offer a premium experience including a red carpet event"

Which basically means...

"We're taking a bunch of the screenings that aren't Galas and turning them into them so that we can charge $40 a ticket"

Here's the thing. I've never had an issue with the fact that all the Gala screenings at Roy Thompson and the Elgin in the evenings were twice the price and couldn't be ordered in the 10 ticket package. They're the big flashy venues with all the press and red carpet space. But they've now taken my two favourite festival venues (Ryerson and Bader) and basically told me I can't see any of the first showings of movies there, which frankly are always the ones I pick because that's one of the main reasons I see movies at the festival...for the Q&A's and excitement of seeing movies before the rest of the world. And I'm sorry, but there is no 'red carpet experience' if you're actually attending one of these screenings. You're in line waiting for entrance and you get a 10 second glimpse as you walk by into the theatre.

Jason Reitman has mentioned in a few interviews that he always wants to premiere his movies at TIFF at the Ryerson because that's how he got his start and that he actually thinks about that audience when he's writing. Someone needs to tell him that his audience is going to be different next time around.

Don't worry about me...I'll get over it. I'm sure I'll come up with my list of 15 movies and end up excited for them by the time the tickets are in hand. It's just going to take me a little longer this time.