Off to pick up my Festival Programme

And it begins... the dark hole is looming... The chances of frequent blog activity or getting any real work done diminishing...

The film list and schedule for the 2006 TIFF have arrived!

Today, I will go pick up my programme book and the forms for making my selections, which must be turned in by 1:00 pm on Friday. Since NOW, the weekly local paper which reviews some of the films, doesn't come out until Thursday (and since I'm a major procrastinator) I probably won't sleep Thursday night. The process to make selections is astoundingly complicated what with 350 films, many different venues around the city with travel time in between, and my conflicting objectives of wanting to see films I wouldn't otherwise be able to see, and wanting to do some gawking at hollywood stars... So many movies, so many stars, so little time.

After my picks are turned in on Friday, they start opening envelopes on a lottery basis... I've been lucky the past two years, so not holding my breath on getting so lucky again this year.

On Monday (labour day) I will be standing in two long lines... (really a warm up for the actual festival, which is all about lines) The first line is to pick up my tickets and the second to make changes... Last year the change line took nearly 4 hours and by the time I reached the front, what I'd wanted to do wasn't possible. (But at least I handed back my duplicate tickets... I got a ticket to both screenings of a Korean film I'd picked as my #1 choice in one time slot and my #2 choice in another. The film was cool... but I didn't want to see it twice!)

Then the actual screenings start next Thursday night. Starting Friday morning (Friday the 8th), if I'm as insane as previous years, I'll be seeing 5 movies a day until the 17th. Leaving the house at 8:00 am every day (very early for me...) and not getting home until after midnight. Much later if I go to a "Midnight Madness" show. Last year I only made it to one of those... the premiere of Sarah Silverman's Jesus is Magic. Very funny. It was worth the lack of sleep. Yes, the film festival is a very grueling and tough job. :-) Pity me.