The 47th annual Toronto International Film Festival returns for 2022 to all-in-person screenings, with celebrities and some of the season’s most anticipated films coming to town.
This year’s festival takes place September 8-18 at venues across the city including the TIFF Bell Lightbox, Scotiabank Theater Toronto, Roy Thomson Hall, the Visa Screening Room at the Princess of Wales Theater and the Royal Alexandra Theatre.
Organizers say the festival will be back in full force next week as it was before the pandemic. TIFF CEO Cameron Bailey previously said in a press release that the organization was “proud and overjoyed” to welcome the audience back.
“Movie lovers can enjoy screenings of the most exciting new cinema from around the world in the heart of the city… feel the hustle and bustle of Festival Street and catch a glimpse of their favorite stars – but most importantly, they can step back in time in this cinematic experience that audiences are drawn to loves Toronto,” Bailey said.
With a roster of around 200 feature films, this year’s hottest movies include Steven Spielberg’s The Fabelmans, Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, Clement Virgo’s adaptation of Brother, and Weird: The Al Yankovic Story. Daniel Radcliffe, Canadian filmmaker and actress Sarah Polley’s “Women Talking” and “My Policeman” with Harry Styles, among many others.
The official film schedule of the festival can be found online here.
Ahead of the festival, CTVNews.ca takes a look at what film fans need to know when it comes to securing tickets to the films and snapping a photo with celebrities on the red carpet.
HOW DO I GET TICKETS?
Sales for some packages and single tickets will start on the following dates:
August 31st — Single ticket advance sale for Visa Infinite cardholders
1 Sept — Redemption Deadline for those who previously purchased Personal Ticket Packages (6:00pm ET)
3 Sept — Single ticket presale for Contributors Circle (10:00 AM ET) and Member 365 (12:00 PM ET)
4 Sept — Single tickets go on sale for TIFF Insiders and Free Pass holders under 25 years old
5th September — Individual tickets go on sale to the public
6 Sept — Festival ticket exchanges will be available on Festival Account Manager and Ticketmaster.ca.
Tickets can be purchased online or by calling 416-599-2033 or 1-888-258-8433 between 10:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. ET on sale days; or in person at the Steve & Rashmi Gupta Box Office in the TIFF Bell Lightbox during the festival.
Single ticket prices vary based on screening time, seating plan and venue. More information can be found here.
According to TIFF, festival tickets can be “extremely limited,” particularly for red carpet screenings, world or North American premieres, and audience Q&A screenings. The organization proposes fans and moviegoers to choose a variety of festival films they are interested in, as well as backup options when selected films are sold out.
If a performance changes or is cancelled, ticket buyers will be notified by email.
WHAT ABOUT RUSH TICKETS?
When a festival screening is “off sale” — meaning tickets are sold out — film fans still have the option to snag a spot on the day by lining up for rush tickets.
Those without tickets can wait in the designated rush line as a “last chance” to see a film on the day of the screening. Moviegoers in this row may fill a select number of remaining vacant seats approximately 15 minutes before the screening begins. Rush tickets are $45 for premium screenings and $25 for regular screenings.
TIFF recommends arriving for a rush line no earlier than 60 minutes before the screening, however being in a rush line does not guarantee a ticket as the rush is on a first come, first served basis.
HOW DO I SEE CELEBRITIES?
TIFF has set up special “Fan Zones” in David Pecaut Square to allow the public to see red carpet performances for film screenings at King Street venues. Fans can queue for these zones prior to a screening, with access granted on a first-come, first-served basis two hours before a film begins.
TIFF advises that “Fan Zones” have limited capacity and queuing does not guarantee access. The organization says it also cannot guarantee that certain celebrities will appear on the red carpet.
Sandi Leung, a 29-year-old show accountant at Live Nation, is a self-proclaimed celebrity selfie-hunter outside of her day job.
Leung, who regularly attends TIFF and other celebrity events around town, told CTVNews.ca in a phone interview that she sometimes works 12-hour days during the festival in hopes of landing a coveted red carpet photo . She says she has amassed over a thousand celebrity selfies so far.
For those visiting the “fan zones” hoping to get a photo with a celebrity, Leung said they should plan ahead to decide which red carpets to attend. Once decided, she suggests arriving in good time before access to the “fan zone” is granted – between three and four hours depending on the film’s popularity.
Leung also suggests wearing comfortable clothing and clothing for the weather, as fans may be queuing hours before the stars arrive. She added that a full phone battery and a portable charger are must-haves.
“You don’t want your phone to break while you’re about to take a selfie on the red carpet,” she said. “I’ve seen that happen to a girl next to me before.”
Leung said fans should also watch their manners when asking for photos on the red carpet.
“If you ask for a selfie, be polite, if you ask her, be friendly. Don’t be aggressive. If they say no, it means no,” she said.
Regardless of whether a celebrity selfie is taken, Leung said it’s important that fans remember to enjoy the experience.
“A lot of times you kind of get lost in that … it gets a little bit competitive and you really focus on getting things done and you don’t enjoy it. So by all means remember to have fun,” she said.
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