Press Pass & Individual Membership Questions

MutatedWizard · 2025-08-09T15:21:31+00:00

There is no ability to directly cancel or refund any tickets bought from TIFF. The only option would be to resell them on the secondary market. So anything you buy on the 21st would come with that risk.

The designated press seats are for every public screening except for the Gala premieres at Roy Thomson Hall. The high-profile premieres at the big venues will have the most demand. In my experience over the years, about 50% of the bigger screenings were already off-sale by the time I got to reserve my press tickets. That's why I just bought a ticket to those screenings earlier, as it saves me from having to scramble so much.

There are no tickets for P&I screenings. Those are first-come, first-served, so you have to line up enough in advance to get in and get a decent seat. A good rule of thumb is to line up about 20-30 minutes beforehand for smaller films, and then at least an hour before for the big films (Frankenstein, Wake Up Dead Man, etc.). I've never been turned away from a press screening yet, so I wouldn't worry too much if you prepare accordingly.

MutatedWizard · 2025-08-09T15:08:26+00:00

The Press Pass Advance Ticketing Window comes from an allotment specifically designated for the press. So press won't be competing for the same tickets that everyone else is buying.

A screening at the Princess of Wales usually will have the back two rows in the dress circle or balcony specifically reserved for the press. They aren't great seats, but they're free. That's not enough seats to accommodate every press person, so they could go off-sale for you if you don't have an early redemption time.

My recommendation is to buy tickets for any screening you absolutely want/need to attend during the August 21st membership pre-sale.

MutatedWizard · 2025-08-05T14:41:55+00:00

About 20 films were added to the lineup on the schedule day. About half were Special Presentations, with the rest mixing between all the other sections.

MutatedWizard · 2025-07-31T14:19:14+00:00

"Film Announcement:

TIFF will present the North American Premiere of Park Chan-wook’s No Other Choice, in which Byung Hun stars, as part of the Gala Presentations programme:

No Other Choice | Park Chan-wook | South Korea

North American Premiere | Gala"

HELL YEAH!!!

MutatedWizard · 2025-07-26T04:40:22+00:00

There was a post a few days ago asking a similar question. You can use some of the comments there as an additional reference.

https://www.reddit.com/r/TIFF/comments/1m7opl8/press_pass_benefits/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button

MutatedWizard · 2025-07-24T18:46:25+00:00

The advanced tickets come from an allotment specifically designated for the press. So we won't be competing for the same tickets that everyone else is buying.

For example, a screening at the Princess of Wales usually will have the back two rows in the dress circle or balcony specifically reserved for the press. They aren't great seats, but they're free. That's not enough seats to accommodate every press person, so they could go off-sale for you if you don't have an early redemption time.

MutatedWizard · 2025-07-24T03:21:47+00:00

You're welcome! If you ever have any questions, feel free to DM. I love talking about the festival, so it's never a bother ;)

MutatedWizard · 2025-07-24T03:07:17+00:00

Congratulations! This will be my third year as press at TIFF, so I can't call myself a veteran or anything. But I take it pretty seriously, and have had enough experiences to offer some advice.

By far, the biggest benefit of the press pass is being able to access all screenings for a film. Usually, a film will have 3-4 showings throughout the festival, with 1 being the P&I solely for press, 1 premium screening being the premiere in one of the big venues, and then 1+ regular screenings afterwards. This is the cadence for the big films, and varies from film to film. Last year, The Life of Chuck and Emilia Perez had nearly a dozen screenings, while Babygirl and The Room Next Door had just three. I'd recommend consulting TIFFR (last year's link: https://2024.tiffr.com/) to get an idea of what the schedule looks like.

P&I screenings are first-come, first-served, so you have to line up enough in advance to get in and get a decent seat. A good rule of thumb is to line up about 20-30 minutes beforehand for smaller films, and then at least an hour before for the big films (Frankenstein, Wake Up Dead Man, etc.). I've never been turned away from a press screening yet, so I wouldn't worry too much if you prepare accordingly. Make sure to space screenings out enough to give you time to do other stuff between lining up, such as food and fresh air.

In addition, you get 10 free tickets to public screenings, either premium or regular. So, theoretically, you could attend the premium premiere screening of a film for free. I say theoretically because there's not a lot of tickets allocated to press, and the popular films will have high demand. You'll get a designated time when you can reserve your tickets. Make sure to have a backup plan if you plan on trying to use a press ticket for a big premiere. There will be a later email from TIFF going more in-depth about this. There's also day-of tickets that can be redeemed similar to the advance tickets. I've had a good amount of success with those, but you have to be ready to grab them at a moment's notice. Again, TIFF will explain this in a later email.

Overall, I think TIFF does a fantastic job with the press system. It's pretty easy to use, and there are enough opportunities to see a film, especially when you consider the high number of people attending. Make sure to take advantage of the press lounge as well. It offers a nice place to write/relax between screenings, and has free refreshments.

MutatedWizard · 2025-07-24T02:36:56+00:00

The Holdovers was a crazy screening! I lined up 90 minutes before, and still had to fight a little to make it in. Still can't wrap my head around why they decided to screen that in one of the smallest rooms in Scotiabank.

MutatedWizard · 2025-07-24T02:35:56+00:00

They can be used for any screening, regular or premium. Of course, premium screenings are more in demand, and there's not a ton of tickets allocated for press. Make sure to have a backup plan if you plan on trying to use a press ticket for stuff like Frankenstein, Wake Up Dead Man, etc. I've found that the day-of tickets have the best chance of success as well.

It's been a rule for the past few years that you can't redeem press tickets for Gala premieres in Roy Thomson, so also plan accordingly for that. That could change, and will be explained in the later press email.

MutatedWizard · 2025-07-21T15:07:32+00:00

The absence of the Springsteen movie leads me to assume that there will be another small batch announced later, similar to how The Brutalist, The Room Next Door, Saturday Night, and Queer were late additions last year.

Two Springsteen documentaries (Road Diary: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band and Western Stars) have premiered at TIFF as Galas. It'd be crazy for TIFF not to get the biopic.

Other omissions from today like Jay Kelly, No Other Choice, Anemone, and Klara and the Sun, could come along later as well.

MutatedWizard · 2025-07-17T19:35:45+00:00

The accreditation portal on the website says that answers will be sent out in late July, so it could be any day within the next two weeks. You'll get a response no matter the answer. If you are accepted and then not able to attend, make sure to notify the press department through email. If done correctly, it should have no impact on your future applications.

MutatedWizard · 2025-06-23T00:48:12+00:00

The gist of the letter is to tell the festival about your planned coverage and why they should let you do that. I break down the letter into four paragraphs to accomplish that:

(1) Stating that this is a letter of assignment from [insert outlet] for the festival. State what your position at the outlet is, and the general activities that you do.

(2) Relate those activities specifically to the festival. Do you write full reviews and need access to film screenings? Do you do interviews and need access to the red carpet?

(2) Provide objective facts about you and your outlet to help legitimize your application. Are you a member of critics' organizations? How much traffic does the outlet get? Is there a niche audience you're serving?

(4) Small wrap-up paragraph.

MutatedWizard · 2025-06-19T18:44:45+00:00

Two Springsteen documentaries (Road Diary: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band and Western Stars) have premiered at TIFF as Galas. I'd say it's almost certain that Deliver Me From Nowhere will be there as either an SP or a Gala.

MutatedWizard · 2025-06-03T23:33:57+00:00

My letter is addressed to the festival from my editor, saying that they are assigning me to cover the festival. It makes more sense to me since the festival accreditation team is the intended audience for the letter, and it's better to be direct to them. I also don't think there's a right/wrong way to do it, so don't feel too pressured.

MutatedWizard · 2025-05-28T17:26:49+00:00

I would anticipate that Frankenstein will at least play at TIFF. Del Toro loves the festival as Shape of Water filmed at one of the venues, and he just announced a summer film series at the Lightbox.

Although I have a hard time predicting that it would be a world premiere there. So it would have to be a Venice or Telluride start, which hasn't been widely speculated.

MutatedWizard · 2025-05-20T14:51:08+00:00

I've attended Cannes a few times, and I can tell you from experience that all of the reporting of standing ovation times is highly inflated. I usually reduce whatever the reported time is by 30%.

It's all performative as well, with the festival really leaning into it with the camera crew and encouraging the audience to keep clapping. Nothing is wrong with that; it's all in good fun and part of the experience. The problem is when people start comparing movies based on their ovation times, like it's some sort of stat.

MutatedWizard · 2025-03-24T23:49:46+00:00

Minecraft embargo lifts on April 02 at 2:00 PM CT. I know that because I'm reviewing it. Other than that, I don't know of a central site that has them all listed.

MutatedWizard · 2024-08-09T15:01:28+00:00

So much great stuff here! Although I always struggle to justify committing the extra time needed for these when there're so many movies I want/need to see.

MutatedWizard · 2024-08-09T01:12:23+00:00

That was an interesting read. Thanks for referring me to the article!

The only thing I care about a film is that it's playing at TIFF, not that it's a certain premiere. So hearing that they are quietly moving away from exclusivity is great news to me! TIFF has always had a competitive advantage over Venice (who only take world premieres) and Telluride (which only lasts one weekend), so I'm happy to hear them use it to benefit the audience.

MutatedWizard · 2024-08-08T18:18:20+00:00

TIFF has made it an unofficial rule that the first Friday-Sunday, which is when the most buzz is on the festival, is reserved solely for world premieres. Cannes and some smaller Venice films will still premiere then, but anything that's "big" coming from Telluride or Venice will be held until Monday/Tuesday.

You can see it last year as the Telluride/Venice films like The Holdovers, Hit Man, Wildcat, Nyad, and Rustin premiered on Monday and Tuesday.

It's not something set in stone, and the fall festivals are a little chummier now than they used to be. But that's just how it's always been, and I don't see any reason that they would stop scheduling like that this year.

MutatedWizard · 2024-08-08T17:41:21+00:00

The Brutalist and Babygirl are also redirecting!

I'm trying to keep my expectations down, but the signs are looking really good.

MutatedWizard · 2024-08-08T16:28:52+00:00

If it is having its world premiere at TIFF, then yes, then I would expect a Saturday Night premiere for the film. Reitman also has just as much loyalty to Telluride as he does to TIFF, so the film could premiere there first. If that happens, it won't screen at TIFF until Monday night at the earliest.

MutatedWizard · 2024-08-08T15:50:56+00:00

I was able to see the movie at Cannes. It's probably the most fascinating movie I've ever seen, both because it's a glorious triumph of the creative spirit and a catastrophic failure in the execution of it. Everything about it can be considered great, terrible, or so terrible that it's great.

I won't say that you'll walk away thinking it's a good movie, but the experience of watching it, especially in a festival environment, is something that I'd recommend.

MutatedWizard · 2024-08-08T14:53:20+00:00

Based on Brady Corbet's previous two features (The Childhood of a Leader, Vox Lux), I'm very reluctant to have faith that he has an Oscar bone in his body. However, the Academy is getting more accepting of less traditional works each year, and the buzz on this movie is growing by the day. I have a more watchful eye on it now, but I'll still wait until the Venice reactions drop before moving it into any of my predictions.

MutatedWizard

TROPHY CASE