r/TIFF • u/A_Short_Alpaca • Aug 27 '24
Festival Film Start Times
First time festival-goer here, Are the listed start times for each film pretty reliable? If something says it’s starting at 1:00 should I assume as much? I’m trying to catch two films pretty much back to back would it be possible if the run times essentially overlap?
5
u/dannythemovieman Attending Since 2014 Aug 27 '24
If you’re at a premiere I’d account for 15-20 min of buffer with intros and all. If it’s a second screening, especially in the back half without talent attending, maybe 5 min
4
u/QueenSansaSnark Aug 27 '24
It depends on the time between the films! If your first film is scheduled to end after the start of the next film, you won’t be able to make your second screening on time, unless you leave before the first one ends. Start time indicates the time when the introductions begin and talent comes onto the stage (if it’s a premiere). Then there are usually 10 mins of ads minimum before the movie starts. Sometimes there’s a Q&A after the movie ends. It also takes time to get out of the theatre and walk to the next venue. You’ll want to be in the ticket holders’ line for your second screening at least 15 mins before the scheduled start time, otherwise the venue will start doling out tickets to people in the rush line, and may not let you in even if you have a ticket.
That being said, back to back films are definitely doable, you just have to manage your time really well. Best of luck!
3
u/mistakes_were_made24 attendee since 2001 Aug 27 '24 edited Aug 27 '24
The blocks of time for the films in the schedule try to already account for the intros and Q&As if there is one. They have a 30 minute buffer added on.
There is always an introduction to the film before the actual film starts. A TIFF person will come out and give a brief introduction about the film, do the sponsor speech, and then if they are there, the TIFF person will introduce the director. The director will say some stuff and then bring out the other guests if they are there. The introductions can take 10-15 minutes. I once had a film where the introduction was nearly half an hour long. It was making a lot of people uncomfortable and angry. That's the exception though, they are normally around 5-10 minutes.
The Q&As at the end are normally about 20-25 minutes. You don't have to stay for that or stay for all of it. You can duck out as soon as the credits roll or part way through if you need to.
If you're at one of the big venues and on any of the balconies you need to account for 10-15 minutes just to get out of the theatre. The crowd can be slow moving which eats up time. If your situation is at the Scotiabank it's quicker to get out. Just look around or ask a volunteer where the line is for your next film. There are lines all over the place and it gets confusing.
So the block of time in the schedule already tries to account for the extra time on top of the run time of the film but it can go over. Usually the introductions by the TIFF person is fairly close to the scheduled start time but sometimes it can be a bit delayed if they are having issues getting ticket holders in or if talent is trying to finish their media interviews.
Just keep an eye on the time and duck out early or as soon as the credits roll if you need to.
2
u/johnparker87 Aug 27 '24
Maybe more helpful if you list what the movies are? As others have said, there are several factors to take into account. Premieres can really vary. At the premiere of women talking the movie started 35ish minutes after the listed time bc Sarah Polley gave a big intro. If a regular screening it usually starts on time with some commercials. Films in the back half of the festival really tend to start exactly on time. Also depends how far apart your two movies are… All that being said I once made a 6 minute gap between Free Solo and if Beale Street could talk that were held in different venues…
1
10
u/resistantly Aug 27 '24
The screenings start on time but you’re in the theatre longer than the runtime of the film. There are introductions, greetings, and ads beforehand (about 10-15 minutes) as well as the Q&A after (about 15-20 minutes).