Monday is a “members only day”, this is the day that members get to trade tickets throughly the box office, no public sales are processed. Fun and games begin at 9am.
I sleep in.
When, I wake, I’m up and out. There is already a line up, greet star and volunteers. Members are more subdued today, focused, not chatting with each other. I overhear a conversation a volunteer has with someone in line – the ticket pool was cut in half this yea, so the ability to make trades is depends on where you bought your tickets.
I call the volunteer over and explain our tickets situation. We should be ok.
I wait.
I chat wi people in line, trying to get them to tell me what they are doing. So far, most of the movies I want, they don’t want, but I have some movies others want. This is a good sign.
I’m three from the front.
Two.
I’m up!
I greet the volunteer, it’s someone I saw yesterday. I explain “I have 3 trades to do, so let’s just go in order and we will see what happens, ok?”
She agrees and it’s game on.
First trade – “Magnificent Seven” (Friday night) for “Personal Shopper” Saturday night.
She confirms that I have two tickets for “Personal Shopper” the following Sunday and if I do this trade my friend and I are seeing this film twice. I agree. No issues.
It’s done!
I list of the second trade. No luck.
The third trade, no luck.
I’m done.
When I get home I try online.
Nothing.
Nothing.
Nothing.
I get news the site has crashed so online trades can’t be done.
Put on my shoes and I’m back to the box office.
Volunteers greet me and wish me luck.
There is no wait this time.
My trades don’t happen.
I’m sad.
I try four more times from home and then it’s time to pack to visit a friend for dinner and staying at her place.
I stop in at the box office, just in case.
This time, after not being to complete my trades, they let me know I can use the mobile site, but so far I haven’t had luck.
I ask them to show me how and they start talking me through only to discover that they can’t, the site on my phone is missing functions.
I ask for a solution and the volunteers don’t have one so they take me to see a person working box office. I explain the situation and show them, they don’t have any insight so get a manager for me. I sit with the manager and show the manager and they don’t have any insight either. We try to problem solve.
Finally I ask “what would happen if I go to the full site? Maybe you can’t do trades fromthe mobile site?”
I’m told it does make a difference.
But.
We try it anyway and it does.
So. Trades through the full site. But not through the mobile site.
Ok.
I leave, have a great visit with my friend.
At work the next day I get on the site and call the box office.
I’m on hold for an hour, listen with half an ear while I work.
Keep checking the website to do my trades but I have no luck.
Get someone at the box office and my trades don’t happen.
Call back half an hour later and hold until I’m hungry.
Go grab an easy lunch and eat at my desk while I listen to hold music.
I’m about to give up or cry or something, this year is going to be a disappointment if I can’t us what we really want.
So I’m waiting and chewing on my sub and suddenly I hear a welcoming voice.
I’m asked for my account number, which I don’t know, so I offer my mbership number instead. The person suggests that I give my name so I spell my last name and she says
“Bex?” Like. She knows me. Does she know me?
“Yes, that’s me, I have a couple of impossible things to do this afternoon and I’d like you help me. I won’t hold it against you if we can’t do it, I’ve had no luck.”
She laughed, which I think is very kind.
“Ok, what do you want do?”
“Ok. My first trade, I have two films for ‘Certain Women’ but I don’t like the time. I need the Sunday September 11 show.”
“Two tickets?”
“Yes. I’ll take one.”
“But you want two?”
“Yes, but it’s been off sale since last week, so if one is all you cane find, then I’ll take it and sort the other later.”
“Ok.” She laughes again.
I guess there is humour in dealing with a person who is obviously a bit mad.
“Oh! Two tickets right?”
“What.”
“Oh! I think…hang on. Yes!
“What?”
“I just got you two tickets for the Sunday September 11 show!”
“Wow! How did you do that?! They’ve been off sale since last week!”
“Hang on, just let me make sure I got them. Ok, I did!”
Wow. I’m not sure how this happened but wow.
“Ok, is that everything?”
“No, maybe this is my lucky day. Ok, I’ve got two tickets to ‘Lion’ and I really want to see ‘The Handmaiden’ on Sunday September 11.”
Silence.
“Before I look for those tickets and try to make that trade, I have to ask. Are you sure? ‘Lion’ so about the hottest ticket of the festival right now. If you trade them away you will someone really, really happy.”
“Yeah, let’s make someone really, really happy and make that trade.”
The ease which the trade is made is amazing.
My tickets are all confirmed.
I say I will come down and get my tickets printed at the box office, I live nearby and I need to trade my tickets in anyway.
My friend is busy every time I go over to tell her the news.
When she is free, I’m at my desk and she meshes me, expecting bad news.
It’s done. We have our perfect schedule with our perfect films.
I’m so happy.
Later, I go down to the box office and it turns out that the tickets I traded in weren’t processed correctly and I could still have used them. It’s ok, we made those trades and I’m not looking to scam anyone or make any sort of profit. The tickets are taken and each one gets a thick, red line through it to show “invalid”.
And that’s it.
Except.
The next day, in the afternoon my friend lets me know that rush seats are available to see Michael Fassbender speak. 50$ and standing in a line. I figure what the heck, it’s on the way home.
I get there and there is less than 20 people. I get in line and wait.
This line is a better mood, I get into a conversation with someone who works at TIFF.
An hour and half later, we both get in, the whole line gets in!
And I see the interview/talk.
And that is how TIFF was won.
