2024 TCM Film Festival

[lydecker]

Assuming that you will have to wait 90 minutes (at least) in 2 lines FOR EVERY SINGLE FILM after you have paid hundreds of dollars (or over $1,000) to attend the festival with the very real possibility that you will not even get into a film is insane. It's a giant scam and if more folks knew that this was the way the TCM Festival operated on a regular basis, I am pretty sure the purchase of passes would drop significantly. To me, it was fraud. I paid close to $1,000 for my pass alone and spent the entire weekend in lines (and a state of panic) that I might not get into films I literally flew across the country to see. I had no time to attend the presentations at Club TCM because, once again, I had to leave to get in "The Lines." The number of passes sold should be limited to the number the festival can reasonably accommodate -- Instead, TCM sells as many passes as they can (up to the final days before the Festival) to make as much money as possible and then basically sits back and says: "Screw you" to the pass holders. They take advantage of the love and loyalty people have for the channel and treat them shamefully.

[lydecker]

Selling thousands upon thousands of passes to a film festival for prices upwards of $1,000 (or more) when purchasers have absolutely no guarantee that they will even get into the film (unless they wait in line for 90 minutes per film) is, to my thinking, a scam. TCM should sell as many passes as they can reasonably accommodate attendees instead of greedily selling as many passes as possible and then, essentially saying: "Screw you" to pass holders. It is unreasonable to assume that the purchase of your festival "pass" guarantees nothing.

[nakanosunplaza]

Lydecker my sympthies for your loss, I have been to several festivals,but I will never go at the TCM one,usuallyat festivals you buy tickets for a particular movie or event like a director's seminar or an actor Q and A conference etc Why pay for a pass ? This is highway robbery to charge so much money,and the Roosevelt is expensive in Hollywood,I have been to Hollywood many times in the past I will go back again in about 2 years but not at the TCM Festival..It is a real shame what happened to you and to all the festival goers

[monsieur_sniffles]

Why pay for a pass ? This is highway robbery to charge so much money

Even Telluride has succumb to the temptation of tiered passes
But with that said, they are really, really, really good about adding additional screenings so that general admission patrons can see a film if the initial screening fills up with pass holders.

[CanuckNoir]

If you haven't been there, you may be shocked to learn (as I was) that buying passes is absolutely NO guarantee that you will be able to see any film.

Lydecker

Yes, this past week's 'research' regarding the TCM festival (which led me to this forum ) made that shocking idiosyncrasy clear to me. To be honest it has soured my interest in attending at all. The whole point for me going would be to have a stress free good time just watching some films and seeing the Hollywood sights. But if I'm going to be standing in line half the time fretting whether I'm even going to see the film I'm standing in line for I question attending the event at all. I may be better off just going down at some other time and just experience a Hollywood vacation. I would have enjoyed being among like minded people of course.

Do they have a lounge for ticket holder who don't make the cut? They should.

[kingrat]

There's an FAQ from the Festival that makes it abundantly clear that you will be standing in line for the films you want to see. You get a "cue card" with your number and are asked to return to the line at a specified time, then line up by numbers. A similar system is common for many film festivals. If this doesn't work for you, the festival probably isn't a good fit.

I've been to ten of the festivals and always have gotten into the films I wanted to see. I usually plan on being there about an hour in advance, or close to it. The closest shave I had was an early morning film in the smallest theater (about 150 seats). I got there 45-50 minutes in advance and got one of the last six seats.

[txfilmfan]

Been to 10 as well, and only missed one film - actually we bailed before even getting in the queue because of the queue card numbers being handed out and knowing the size of the theater (they publish the number of seats in each theater, so you know approximately how many people will get in).

I usually queue 45 minutes or so ahead of a screening - sometimes an hour if I think it will be extremely popular due to the film and/or guest(s), or if it's in smallest theater (upstairs at the multiplex). Once you get a queue card, you may leave the queue, but should return about half an hour ahead of the screening time, as that's usually when people are admitted in queue card number order.

Regarding lounge space - there are seating areas usually set up in the TCL multiplex (home of 3 of the theaters) and there's Club TCM in the Roosevelt. Many people just hang about in the Roosevelt lobby as well if they aren't attending a screening or some other function.