Anyone who wishes the ‘share calenders’ – a rockin’ feature in Google Calender – will be able to easily see what films and events line up.

There is a big TwitchFilm 5th Year birthday bash on Sept11 which I highly recommend as a mix of film enthusiasts and genre filmmakers (the guest list is steadily growing) and I have been going to the ‘Midnight Madness’ pre- and during-the-fest- parties over the last couple years. Otherwise, it is all films all the time. I’ll be a regular fixture out in front of the main entrance at the Ryerson around 11:30pm for the midnight madness films (although I’m skipping the Thursday Megan Fox Zoo this year…)

I’ve never purchased a package before, preferring to go for individual ticket sales. Can you get gala and Elgin tix with the packages? I know they put a lot of restrictions on those “event” screenings.

Jesus, I don’t even know where to start browsing through all of this.

1. Over-tired but committed cineastes wandering from screening to screening with coffee (or now cold energy drinks) in hand, mixed with casual film fans (or simply the curious locals) at the public screenings.

2. Celebrity hunter and E! style poof-ery and Red Carpet or Sutton Place watching for famous faces.

3. Quiet and jovial Press screenings at the Varsity which are often annoyingly interrupted by blackberry fireflies in the dark and people going in and out of screening rooms often during the films.

Personally, I much prefer #1, but I’m willing to endure #3 if I can’t make my schedule work (TIFFg has been kind enough to have accredited me (thru Twitch) or provide screening vouchers in the past.)

When the bureaucracy and ticketing process is working (some goof-ups and bad planning last year), the film-going public are actually the real winners. The atmosphere and anticipation of good cinema in the public screenings is pretty awesome actually, and why I really love TIFF as a mammoth festival experience.