Tales of a Film Festival Volunteer - VGF

**Sean P Kelly** · 07-19-2006, 08:40 PM

Episode One: The Recruitment Session

I decided to document my experiences this year as a volunteer for the Toronto International Film Festival.

So, today I went to the volunteer recruitment meeting at Roy Thompson Hall (which, BTW, is where they show the Gala films at the festival).

First was the spoken section. Basically, they went through the guidelines and code of conduct (no asking for autographs or handing out screenplays!). We were also told the perks about being a volunteer, most notably the fact that after each shift you get a voucher for a ticket. That is both a good and bad thing. It’s good because I can see films for free and it’s bad because I will only be able to see whatever’s not sold out (hopefully there will be some gems).

After a slightly lengthy description of all the volunteer positions available, we were ready to sign up for shifts. We all got coloured cards on the way in and we signed up in waves. Luckily, since I arrive fairly early, I was the in the second wave.

Basically, there were many tables with the available shifts on sign-up shifts. I decided to go with the majority and sign up for a theatre shift (where all the action is). Because new volunteers are recommended to stick with one theatre, I decided to go with the Varsity theatre (where I saw a Festival film back in 2003). We have to sign up for a minimum of four shifts, so, keeping my school schedule in mind, I signed up for afternoon shifts on September 9, 10, & 12 and a morning shift on September 15.

And that’s all from the recruitment session. I will post the next episode late next month when I attend the theatre training session.

**Sean P Kelly** · 08-08-2006, 07:29 PM

Not really an official log, but I got my schedule in the mail today. So, I'm officially a Film Festival volunteer.

**Sean P Kelly** · 08-28-2006, 11:12 PM

Episode Two: The Training Session

A little delayed, but here is my recap of Sunday’s training session.

Mostly it mostly involved going through various guidelines and etiquette (i.e. try not to get star struck while on duty), as well a tour of the theatre.

The Varsity theatre, where I am volunteering, is one of the main hubs of the festival and it includes both public and press/industry screenings.

At the end of the training session I got my first of (what will be a total of) five vouchers. Since this is the only pre-festival voucher I’m getting, I’ll probably use it to get a ticket to one of my top film choices on the day advance tickets go on sale, since most films would probably be sold out by the time I get more vouchers.

Next time, I shall recap my first shift.

Koga · 08-29-2006, 04:02 AM

Which stars will be there then?

**Sean P Kelly** · 08-29-2006, 08:44 AM

^ From the Film Fest website:
Amitabh Bachchan, AJ Schnack, Abderrahmane Sissako, Adrian Grenier, Adriana Barraza, Agnieszka Holland, Anti-Jussi Aninila, Alan Rickman, Alberta Watson, Alejandro Gomez Monteverde, Alejandro González Iñárritu, Alek Keshishian, Alex Pettyfer, Alex van Warmerdam, Alexander Oey, Alexander Payne, Allan King, Alyssa Sutherland, Amy Berg, Ana Kokkinos, Ana Moreira, Anders Thomas Jensen, Andrea Arnold, Andrew Currie, Árni Ólafur Ásgeirsson, Ann Hui, Anne Fontaine, Sir Anthony Hopkins, Anthony Minghella, Antonio de la Torre, Arnold W. Messer, Arshad Warsi, Asger Leth, Agustin Díaz Yanes, Bahman Ghobadi, Barbara Kopple, Benoît Jacquot, Bob Balaban, Bob Goldthwait, Bobby Cannavale, Bong Joon-ho, Bonnie Henna, Bradley Beesley, Brad Pitt, Brad Silberling, Brian D. Johnson, Brittany Murphy, Bruno Dumont, Camelia Frieberg, Camila Guzmán Urzúa, Carice van Houten, Carrie-Anne Moss, Carl Bessai, Carmen Chaplin, Carmen Moore, Catalin Mitulescu, Cate Blanchett, Catherine Martin, Catherine O'Hara, Cecilia Peck, Cesc Gay, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Chitra Palekar, Chris Kraus, Christopher Moynihan, Christian Bale, Christian Slater, Christian Volckman, Christina Ricci, Christie MacFayden, Christopher Guest, Christopher N Rowley, Christopher Smith, Cillian Murphy, Cindy Wolfe, Connie Britton, Costa-Gavras, Daniel Auteuil, Daniel Sánchez Arévalo, Daniella Wircer, Danny Glover, Dany Boon, Darren Aronofsky, David Leaf, David Recha, David Thwaites, David Von Ancken, Davide Ferrario, Deborah Theaker, Debbie Isitt, deco dawson, Denis Dercourt, Derek Luke, Diane Kruger, the Dixie Chicks (Natalie Maines, Martie Maguire, Emily Robison), Don Lake, Don McKellar, Douglas McGrath, Dror Shaul, Dustin Hoffman, Ed Begley Jr., Ed Harris, Ed Stone, Edward Burtynsky, Eduard Fernández, Emanuele Crialese, Emilio Estevez, Emily Barclay, Emma Thompson, Emmaneulle Béart, Eric Kopeloff, Erik Weihenmayer, Ethan Hawke, Eugene Levy, Eytan Fox, Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck, Forest Whitaker, Francisco Vargas, François Létourneau, Fred Willard, Freddy Rodriguez, Frédérick Pelletier, Gabriel Byrne, Gabriel Range, Garin Nugroho, Gary Burns, Geoffrey Wright, Gerardo Naranjo, Gianni Amelio, Gina Pareño, Goran Paskaljevic, Gordon Pinsent, Grégoire Solotareff, Greta Scacchi, Guillermo del Toro, Guy Édion, Guy Maddin, Hal Hartley, Hanif Kureishi, Hanne Hedelund, Hans Steinbichler, Haobam Paban Kumar, Harry Shearer, Heath Ledger, Hirokazu Kore-eda, Ho Yuhang, Hong Sang-soo, Hubert Davis, Ioan Gruffudd, Isild Le Besco, Isla Fisher, J.T. Petty, Jacinda Barrett, Jackie May, Jafar Panahi, Jakob Cedergren, James Carville, James LeGros, James McAvoy, James Stern, Jan Chapman, Jan H?ebejk, Jane Lynch, Jannik Lorenzen, Jasmila Zbanic, Jason Biggs, Jason Britski, Jay Anania, Jean Lemire, Jean-Marc Barr, Jean-Pascal Hattu, Jeff Garlin, Jeff Goldblum, Jeffrey Jeturian, Jem Cohen, Jennifer Coolidge, Jennifer Baichwal, Jennifer Lopez, Jens Liens, Jérôme Laperrousaz, Jesper Asholt, Jesper Ganslandt, Jessica Lange, Jessica Woodworth, Jia Zhangke, Jim Brown, Jim Piddock, Joachim Lafosse, Joachim Trier, Joan Allen, John Abraham, John Barker, John Cameron Mitchell, John Jeffcoat, John Scheinfeld, John Waters, Jonathan Levine, Johnnie To, Jonathan King, Josie Ho, Josh Hamilton, Joshua Jackson, Jude Law, Judy Kuhn, Julie Christie, Julie Kolbech, Julia Loktev, Juliette Binoche, Kabir Khan, Karan Johar, Karen Murphy, Karim Aïnouz, Karl Urban, Kate Winslet, Katherine Dieckmann, Kathy Bates, Ken Lemberger, Ken Loach, Ken Marino, Kerry Washington, Kevin Macdonald , Kim Bodnia, Kim Chapiron, Kristen Thomson, Lachy Hulme, Larry Fessenden, Larry Miller, Laura Harris, Laura Linney, Laurent Hebiet, Leah Angutimarik, Leon Ichaso, Liam Neeson, Lindsay Doran, Lisandro Alonso, Liz Mermin, Lou Ye, Luc Picard, Lucy Walker, Macky Alston, Mads Mikkelsen, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Manuel Nieto Zas, Manuel Pradal, Manoel de Oliveira, Marc Anthony, Marc Evans, Marc Forster, Marc Recha, Margarethe von Trotta, Marie Clements, Marina Spada, Mark Palansky, Mark Ruffalo, Martin Donovan, Martin Lavut, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Mel Chionglo, Melinda Page Hamilton, Mohammed Naqvi, Michael Apted, Michael Glawogger, Michael Hitchcock, Michael Ian Black, Michael Mabbott, Michael McKean, Michael Moore, Michael Murphy, Michael Tucker, Mike Medavoy, Mira Nair, Monica Bleibtreu, Morgan Freeman, Mukhtaran Mai, Murali Thalluri, Nacho Cerda, Nader Takmil Homayoun, Nadia Litz, Nandita Das, Nanni Moretti, Neil Armfield, Nicole Robert, Niki Karimi, Nikos Grammatikos, Noel Mitrani, Norman Cohn, Ohad Knoller, Ole Christian Masen, Olivier Gourmet, Olivier Masset-Depasse, Olympia Dukakis, Ozer Kiziltan, Pablo Trapero, Pakkak Innushuk, Parker Posey, Patrice Leconte, Patricia Clarkson, Patrick Chamusso, Patrice Sauvé, Patrick Wilson, Paul Andrew Williams, Paul Fox, Paul Goldman, Paul Rachman, Paul Rudd, Paul Verhoeven, Pavel Giroud, Paz Vega, Pedro Almodovar, Pen-ek Ratanaruang, Penélope Cruz, Perry Henzell, Peter Brosens, Peter Dinklage, Peter Mettler, Peter Mullan, Peter O'Toole, Peter Schønau Fog, Petra Epperlein, Pierce Brosnan, Quim Gutierrez, Rachael Harris, Rachel Weisz, Rachel Bilson, Rachid Bouchareb, Rajnesh Domalpalli, Rakshan Bani-Etemad, Rani Mukherjee, Ray Lawrence, Rebecca Hall, Reese Witherspoon, Reha Erdem, Ridley Scott, Rinko Kikuchi, Robert Favreau, Robert Guédigian, Robert Lepage, Robert Sarkies, Robin Wright Penn, Robinson Stévenin, Robyn Slovo,Roger Michell, Rolf de Heer, Romola Garai, Ron Mann, Ron Perlman, Russell Crowe, Sacha Baron Cohen, Saffron Burrows, Sam Worthington, Sandra Bullock, Sang-il Lee, Santiago Amigorena, Sarah Polley, Sarah Price, Scott Z. Burns, Scott Caan, Shawn Slovo, Sean Ellis, Sean Penn, Serge Elissalde, Shah Rukh Khan, Shane Meadows, Sharon Stone, Sheng Zhimin, Sydney Pollack, Sigourney Weaver, Simon Lavoie, Siqin Gaowa, So Yong Kim, Sook-Yin Lee, Sophie Fiennes, Spike Lee, Stefan Krohmer, Steve Hudson, Steven Zaillian, Stine Stengade, Szabolcs Hajdu, Yae-Yong Kim, Tahani Rached, Tantoo Cardinal, Tarsem Singh, Tata Amaral, Teresa Villaverde, Terrance Odette, Thierry Piantanida, Thierry Ragobert, Tim Robbins, Toby Jones, Todd Field, Tom Hanks, Tom Skerritt, Tom Vaughan, Tony Gatlif, Tony Goldwyn, Tony Kaye, Tracy Wright, Tsai Ming-Liang, Tunde Kelani, Ulrich Mühe, Vera Farmiga, Victoria Hill, Viggo Mortensen, Vince Vaughn, Vincent Cassel, Vincenzo Marra, Vincenzo Natali, Volker Schlöndorff, Wendy Crewson, Werner Herzog, Will Ferrell, William H. Macy, Wyclef Jean, Xiaogang Feng, Yao Ramesar, Yoko Ono, Yousef Sweid, Zabou Breitman, Zach Braff, Zach Helm, Zacharias Kunuk, Zeka Laplaine, and Ziyi Zhang.

Koga · 08-29-2006, 09:41 AM

That's quite an impressive list, even though I know only about half of them.

**Sean P Kelly** · 09-02-2006, 09:19 PM

I got my t-shirt today. It looks all professional and stuff with "VOLUNTEER" written on the back. (Also, as proof on how these things really depend on sponsors, there are logos for both NBC/Universal, which sponsors the volunteer program, and Roots, which created the t-shirts)

**Sean P Kelly** · 09-09-2006, 07:46 PM

Episode Three: The First Shift

Well today was my first volunteer shift at the Varsity theatre for the Toronto International Film Festival! For the most part, I did tasks such as directing traffic and checking ticket stubs for re-entry into the theatre.

I would say the highlight of my shift involved when I was assigned to help mind the press/industry entrance (basically my task involved giving directions when asked and making sure no one exits via the entrance). This happened around the time press were lining up to attend a press screening of “All the King’s Men” (which officially opens with a Gala screening tomorrow night). Essentially, the line for this screening got so big it covered most of the theatre. This gave me a good look at how busy the film festival can get (especially involving big films).

Because of slowness (and the fact that the next shift was coming in) I was relieved and signed out at 7:00 (which was 45 minutes before the scheduled end). Basically I received my voucher, grabbed a bite to eat, and headed home.

I will have another shift tomorrow and you should expect my next log entry then.

**Sean P Kelly** · 09-10-2006, 09:04 PM

Episode Four: The Second Shift

Second shift…it started off pretty much the same as the last shift, with me collecting tickets for a screening. I was then assigned to check tickets at the door and I spent about half an hour saying nothing but “down the hall” as the people were entering the theatre.

Today’s highlight came in the form as when I was assigned to a press and industry screening of a documentary about gang members in Haiti called “Ghosts of Cité Soleil.” I was signing members of the media into the theatre I couldn’t help noticed that this screening was, among other, attended by people affiliated with Entertainment Weekly, Esquire, and Variety. I even spent some time inside the cinema, as an usher helping latecomers find seats.

After I was relieved from the “ghosts” screening, I was sent to another press screening, where I basically ended up minding the door until my shift was over.

Tomorrow, I will officially become an attendee of the festival, when I head to a screening of “The Dog Problem.” My next volunteer log will be after my next shift on Tuesday.

**Sean P Kelly** · 09-12-2006, 07:36 AM

Just a quick note saying that last night I attended a world premiere screening of "The Dog Problem", which was attended by Scott Caan (who directed the film), Giovanni Ribisi, and Mena Suvari.

That was neat.

**Sean P Kelly** · 09-12-2006, 08:05 PM

Episode Five: Shift Three

Today’s shift was a little on the slow side. There were more press screenings than public screenings (in fact, there was only one public screening starting during my shift) and, as such, there wasn’t any of the hectic activity such as collecting tickets and guiding people to the cinemas.

My main task today was as an usher during a press screening of an Austrian film called “Falling.” It was definitely not fun standing for the entire length of a film, especially one that wasn’t in English and was also essentially a “chick flick” (also, since there were plenty of empty seats, me being there was basically a formality).

This morning I picked tickets for a documentary on the last presidential election called “So Goes the Nation,” which I will see on Thursday. This was a second replacement after I was told that my first choice was sold out at the box office. I also plan on heading back to the box office tomorrow morning to exchange the voucher I received today for a film on Saturday.

I will also log my final volunteer shift this Friday.

**Sean P Kelly** · 09-16-2006, 10:17 PM

Today was the final day of the Toronto Film Festival.
I’m sorry for not posting my final volunteer log, but since my final shift nearly consisted entirely of tearing tickets, there was nothing much to write anyway.

So, what about the films I saw this year?

Well, I already spoke about “The Dog Problem,” last Monday.

On Thursday night I went to the premiere screening of the documentary “…So Goes the Nation,” which was about the 2004 US Presidential Election and, more specifically, how the votes in Ohio were the deciding factor.

Today involved three festival firsts for me: It officially made this year the first year I saw more than two films, it was the first day I saw more than one film in a day, and it featured my first film in the infamous “Midnight Madness” programme.

First up today was “Love and Other Disasters” staring Britney Murphy, which was a romantic comedy that both acknowledged and tried to avoid the clichés of the genre. This made for a very enjoyable movie, especially a hilarious cameo by two big name actors towards the end of the film.

Second was the “Midnight Madness” film “Severence.” This British horror-comedy was billed in the description as “The Office meets Deliverance.” The plot itself is a horror film, but elements such as character reactions, playing around with clichés, and even the music made this film very funny. This was definitely a great way for me to finish the festival.

So, another film festival has come to an end and it was definitely my best festival experience in the four years I’ve been attending. Hopefully next year will be even better.

07-19-2006, 08:40 PM	#1
Sean P Kelly SMBHQ Mod Movies Mod Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Toronto, ON, Canada Gender: Posts: 3,232 Thanks: 9 Thanked 41 Times in 32 Posts Points: 175,593.91 Bank: 61,283.41 Total Points: 236,877.32 Donate	Tales of a Film Festival Volunteer Episode One: The Recruitment Session I decided to document my experiences this year as a volunteer for the Toronto International Film Festival. So, today I went to the volunteer recruitment meeting at Roy Thompson Hall (which, BTW, is where they show the Gala films at the festival). First was the spoken section. Basically, they went through the guidelines and code of conduct (no asking for autographs or handing out screenplays!). We were also told the perks about being a volunteer, most notably the fact that after each shift you get a voucher for a ticket. That is both a good and bad thing. It’s good because I can see films for free and it’s bad because I will only be able to see whatever’s not sold out (hopefully there will be some gems). After a slightly lengthy description of all the volunteer positions available, we were ready to sign up for shifts. We all got coloured cards on the way in and we signed up in waves. Luckily, since I arrive fairly early, I was the in the second wave. Basically, there were many tables with the available shifts on sign-up shifts. I decided to go with the majority and sign up for a theatre shift (where all the action is). Because new volunteers are recommended to stick with one theatre, I decided to go with the Varsity theatre (where I saw a Festival film back in 2003). We have to sign up for a minimum of four shifts, so, keeping my school schedule in mind, I signed up for afternoon shifts on September 9, 10, & 12 and a morning shift on September 15. And that’s all from the recruitment session. I will post the next episode late next month when I attend the theatre training session.

08-08-2006, 07:29 PM	#2
Sean P Kelly SMBHQ Mod Movies Mod Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Toronto, ON, Canada Gender: Posts: 3,232 Thanks: 9 Thanked 41 Times in 32 Posts Points: 175,593.91 Bank: 61,283.41 Total Points: 236,877.32 Donate	Not really an official log, but I got my schedule in the mail today. So, I'm officially a Film Festival volunteer.

08-28-2006, 11:12 PM	#3
Sean P Kelly SMBHQ Mod Movies Mod Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Toronto, ON, Canada Gender: Posts: 3,232 Thanks: 9 Thanked 41 Times in 32 Posts Points: 175,593.91 Bank: 61,283.41 Total Points: 236,877.32 Donate	Episode Two: The Training Session A little delayed, but here is my recap of Sunday’s training session. Mostly it mostly involved going through various guidelines and etiquette (i.e. try not to get star struck while on duty), as well a tour of the theatre. The Varsity theatre, where I am volunteering, is one of the main hubs of the festival and it includes both public and press/industry screenings. At the end of the training session I got my first of (what will be a total of) five vouchers. Since this is the only pre-festival voucher I’m getting, I’ll probably use it to get a ticket to one of my top film choices on the day advance tickets go on sale, since most films would probably be sold out by the time I get more vouchers. Next time, I shall recap my first shift.

08-29-2006, 04:02 AM	#4
Koga Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2000 Location: The Netherlands Gender: Posts: 17,093 Thanks: 104 Thanked 177 Times in 119 Posts Points: 104,115.41 Bank: 17,752.41 Total Points: 121,867.82 Donate	Which stars will be there then?

08-29-2006, 08:44 AM	#5
Sean P Kelly SMBHQ Mod Movies Mod Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Toronto, ON, Canada Gender: Posts: 3,232 Thanks: 9 Thanked 41 Times in 32 Posts Points: 175,593.91 Bank: 61,283.41 Total Points: 236,877.32 Donate	^ From the Film Fest website: Amitabh Bachchan, AJ Schnack, Abderrahmane Sissako, Adrian Grenier, Adriana Barraza, Agnieszka Holland, Anti-Jussi Aninila, Alan Rickman, Alberta Watson, Alejandro Gomez Monteverde, Alejandro González Iñárritu, Alek Keshishian, Alex Pettyfer, Alex van Warmerdam, Alexander Oey, Alexander Payne, Allan King, Alyssa Sutherland, Amy Berg, Ana Kokkinos, Ana Moreira, Anders Thomas Jensen, Andrea Arnold, Andrew Currie, Árni Ólafur Ásgeirsson, Ann Hui, Anne Fontaine, Sir Anthony Hopkins, Anthony Minghella, Antonio de la Torre, Arnold W. Messer, Arshad Warsi, Asger Leth, Agustin Díaz Yanes, Bahman Ghobadi, Barbara Kopple, Benoît Jacquot, Bob Balaban, Bob Goldthwait, Bobby Cannavale, Bong Joon-ho, Bonnie Henna, Bradley Beesley, Brad Pitt, Brad Silberling, Brian D. Johnson, Brittany Murphy, Bruno Dumont, Camelia Frieberg, Camila Guzmán Urzúa, Carice van Houten, Carrie-Anne Moss, Carl Bessai, Carmen Chaplin, Carmen Moore, Catalin Mitulescu, Cate Blanchett, Catherine Martin, Catherine O'Hara, Cecilia Peck, Cesc Gay, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Chitra Palekar, Chris Kraus, Christopher Moynihan, Christian Bale, Christian Slater, Christian Volckman, Christina Ricci, Christie MacFayden, Christopher Guest, Christopher N Rowley, Christopher Smith, Cillian Murphy, Cindy Wolfe, Connie Britton, Costa-Gavras, Daniel Auteuil, Daniel Sánchez Arévalo, Daniella Wircer, Danny Glover, Dany Boon, Darren Aronofsky, David Leaf, David Recha, David Thwaites, David Von Ancken, Davide Ferrario, Deborah Theaker, Debbie Isitt, deco dawson, Denis Dercourt, Derek Luke, Diane Kruger, the Dixie Chicks (Natalie Maines, Martie Maguire, Emily Robison), Don Lake, Don McKellar, Douglas McGrath, Dror Shaul, Dustin Hoffman, Ed Begley Jr., Ed Harris, Ed Stone, Edward Burtynsky, Eduard Fernández, Emanuele Crialese, Emilio Estevez, Emily Barclay, Emma Thompson, Emmaneulle Béart, Eric Kopeloff, Erik Weihenmayer, Ethan Hawke, Eugene Levy, Eytan Fox, Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck, Forest Whitaker, Francisco Vargas, François Létourneau, Fred Willard, Freddy Rodriguez, Frédérick Pelletier, Gabriel Byrne, Gabriel Range, Garin Nugroho, Gary Burns, Geoffrey Wright, Gerardo Naranjo, Gianni Amelio, Gina Pareño, Goran Paskaljevic, Gordon Pinsent, Grégoire Solotareff, Greta Scacchi, Guillermo del Toro, Guy Édion, Guy Maddin, Hal Hartley, Hanif Kureishi, Hanne Hedelund, Hans Steinbichler, Haobam Paban Kumar, Harry Shearer, Heath Ledger, Hirokazu Kore-eda, Ho Yuhang, Hong Sang-soo, Hubert Davis, Ioan Gruffudd, Isild Le Besco, Isla Fisher, J.T. Petty, Jacinda Barrett, Jackie May, Jafar Panahi, Jakob Cedergren, James Carville, James LeGros, James McAvoy, James Stern, Jan Chapman, Jan H?ebejk, Jane Lynch, Jannik Lorenzen, Jasmila Zbanic, Jason Biggs, Jason Britski, Jay Anania, Jean Lemire, Jean-Marc Barr, Jean-Pascal Hattu, Jeff Garlin, Jeff Goldblum, Jeffrey Jeturian, Jem Cohen, Jennifer Coolidge, Jennifer Baichwal, Jennifer Lopez, Jens Liens, Jérôme Laperrousaz, Jesper Asholt, Jesper Ganslandt, Jessica Lange, Jessica Woodworth, Jia Zhangke, Jim Brown, Jim Piddock, Joachim Lafosse, Joachim Trier, Joan Allen, John Abraham, John Barker, John Cameron Mitchell, John Jeffcoat, John Scheinfeld, John Waters, Jonathan Levine, Johnnie To, Jonathan King, Josie Ho, Josh Hamilton, Joshua Jackson, Jude Law, Judy Kuhn, Julie Christie, Julie Kolbech, Julia Loktev, Juliette Binoche, Kabir Khan, Karan Johar, Karen Murphy, Karim Aïnouz, Karl Urban, Kate Winslet, Katherine Dieckmann, Kathy Bates, Ken Lemberger, Ken Loach, Ken Marino, Kerry Washington, Kevin Macdonald , Kim Bodnia, Kim Chapiron, Kristen Thomson, Lachy Hulme, Larry Fessenden, Larry Miller, Laura Harris, Laura Linney, Laurent Hebiet, Leah Angutimarik, Leon Ichaso, Liam Neeson, Lindsay Doran, Lisandro Alonso, Liz Mermin, Lou Ye, Luc Picard, Lucy Walker, Macky Alston, Mads Mikkelsen, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Manuel Nieto Zas, Manuel Pradal, Manoel de Oliveira, Marc Anthony, Marc Evans, Marc Forster, Marc Recha, Margarethe von Trotta, Marie Clements, Marina Spada, Mark Palansky, Mark Ruffalo, Martin Donovan, Martin Lavut, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Mel Chionglo, Melinda Page Hamilton, Mohammed Naqvi, Michael Apted, Michael Glawogger, Michael Hitchcock, Michael Ian Black, Michael Mabbott, Michael McKean, Michael Moore, Michael Murphy, Michael Tucker, Mike Medavoy, Mira Nair, Monica Bleibtreu, Morgan Freeman, Mukhtaran Mai, Murali Thalluri, Nacho Cerda, Nader Takmil Homayoun, Nadia Litz, Nandita Das, Nanni Moretti, Neil Armfield, Nicole Robert, Niki Karimi, Nikos Grammatikos, Noel Mitrani, Norman Cohn, Ohad Knoller, Ole Christian Masen, Olivier Gourmet, Olivier Masset-Depasse, Olympia Dukakis, Ozer Kiziltan, Pablo Trapero, Pakkak Innushuk, Parker Posey, Patrice Leconte, Patricia Clarkson, Patrick Chamusso, Patrice Sauvé, Patrick Wilson, Paul Andrew Williams, Paul Fox, Paul Goldman, Paul Rachman, Paul Rudd, Paul Verhoeven, Pavel Giroud, Paz Vega, Pedro Almodovar, Pen-ek Ratanaruang, Penélope Cruz, Perry Henzell, Peter Brosens, Peter Dinklage, Peter Mettler, Peter Mullan, Peter O'Toole, Peter Schønau Fog, Petra Epperlein, Pierce Brosnan, Quim Gutierrez, Rachael Harris, Rachel Weisz, Rachel Bilson, Rachid Bouchareb, Rajnesh Domalpalli, Rakshan Bani-Etemad, Rani Mukherjee, Ray Lawrence, Rebecca Hall, Reese Witherspoon, Reha Erdem, Ridley Scott, Rinko Kikuchi, Robert Favreau, Robert Guédigian, Robert Lepage, Robert Sarkies, Robin Wright Penn, Robinson Stévenin, Robyn Slovo,Roger Michell, Rolf de Heer, Romola Garai, Ron Mann, Ron Perlman, Russell Crowe, Sacha Baron Cohen, Saffron Burrows, Sam Worthington, Sandra Bullock, Sang-il Lee, Santiago Amigorena, Sarah Polley, Sarah Price, Scott Z. Burns, Scott Caan, Shawn Slovo, Sean Ellis, Sean Penn, Serge Elissalde, Shah Rukh Khan, Shane Meadows, Sharon Stone, Sheng Zhimin, Sydney Pollack, Sigourney Weaver, Simon Lavoie, Siqin Gaowa, So Yong Kim, Sook-Yin Lee, Sophie Fiennes, Spike Lee, Stefan Krohmer, Steve Hudson, Steven Zaillian, Stine Stengade, Szabolcs Hajdu, Yae-Yong Kim, Tahani Rached, Tantoo Cardinal, Tarsem Singh, Tata Amaral, Teresa Villaverde, Terrance Odette, Thierry Piantanida, Thierry Ragobert, Tim Robbins, Toby Jones, Todd Field, Tom Hanks, Tom Skerritt, Tom Vaughan, Tony Gatlif, Tony Goldwyn, Tony Kaye, Tracy Wright, Tsai Ming-Liang, Tunde Kelani, Ulrich Mühe, Vera Farmiga, Victoria Hill, Viggo Mortensen, Vince Vaughn, Vincent Cassel, Vincenzo Marra, Vincenzo Natali, Volker Schlöndorff, Wendy Crewson, Werner Herzog, Will Ferrell, William H. Macy, Wyclef Jean, Xiaogang Feng, Yao Ramesar, Yoko Ono, Yousef Sweid, Zabou Breitman, Zach Braff, Zach Helm, Zacharias Kunuk, Zeka Laplaine, and Ziyi Zhang.

08-29-2006, 09:41 AM	#6
Koga Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2000 Location: The Netherlands Gender: Posts: 17,093 Thanks: 104 Thanked 177 Times in 119 Posts Points: 104,115.41 Bank: 17,752.41 Total Points: 121,867.82 Donate	That's quite an impressive list, even though I know only about half of them.

09-02-2006, 09:19 PM	#7
Sean P Kelly SMBHQ Mod Movies Mod Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Toronto, ON, Canada Gender: Posts: 3,232 Thanks: 9 Thanked 41 Times in 32 Posts Points: 175,593.91 Bank: 61,283.41 Total Points: 236,877.32 Donate	I got my t-shirt today. It looks all professional and stuff with "VOLUNTEER" written on the back. (Also, as proof on how these things really depend on sponsors, there are logos for both NBC/Universal, which sponsors the volunteer program, and Roots, which created the t-shirts)

09-09-2006, 07:46 PM	#8
Sean P Kelly SMBHQ Mod Movies Mod Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Toronto, ON, Canada Gender: Posts: 3,232 Thanks: 9 Thanked 41 Times in 32 Posts Points: 175,593.91 Bank: 61,283.41 Total Points: 236,877.32 Donate	Episode Three: The First Shift Well today was my first volunteer shift at the Varsity theatre for the Toronto International Film Festival! For the most part, I did tasks such as directing traffic and checking ticket stubs for re-entry into the theatre. I would say the highlight of my shift involved when I was assigned to help mind the press/industry entrance (basically my task involved giving directions when asked and making sure no one exits via the entrance). This happened around the time press were lining up to attend a press screening of “All the King’s Men” (which officially opens with a Gala screening tomorrow night). Essentially, the line for this screening got so big it covered most of the theatre. This gave me a good look at how busy the film festival can get (especially involving big films). Because of slowness (and the fact that the next shift was coming in) I was relieved and signed out at 7:00 (which was 45 minutes before the scheduled end). Basically I received my voucher, grabbed a bite to eat, and headed home. I will have another shift tomorrow and you should expect my next log entry then.

09-10-2006, 09:04 PM	#9
Sean P Kelly SMBHQ Mod Movies Mod Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Toronto, ON, Canada Gender: Posts: 3,232 Thanks: 9 Thanked 41 Times in 32 Posts Points: 175,593.91 Bank: 61,283.41 Total Points: 236,877.32 Donate	Episode Four: The Second Shift Second shift…it started off pretty much the same as the last shift, with me collecting tickets for a screening. I was then assigned to check tickets at the door and I spent about half an hour saying nothing but “down the hall” as the people were entering the theatre. Today’s highlight came in the form as when I was assigned to a press and industry screening of a documentary about gang members in Haiti called “Ghosts of Cité Soleil.” I was signing members of the media into the theatre I couldn’t help noticed that this screening was, among other, attended by people affiliated with Entertainment Weekly, Esquire, and Variety. I even spent some time inside the cinema, as an usher helping latecomers find seats. After I was relieved from the “ghosts” screening, I was sent to another press screening, where I basically ended up minding the door until my shift was over. Tomorrow, I will officially become an attendee of the festival, when I head to a screening of “The Dog Problem.” My next volunteer log will be after my next shift on Tuesday.

09-12-2006, 07:36 AM	#10
Sean P Kelly SMBHQ Mod Movies Mod Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Toronto, ON, Canada Gender: Posts: 3,232 Thanks: 9 Thanked 41 Times in 32 Posts Points: 175,593.91 Bank: 61,283.41 Total Points: 236,877.32 Donate	Just a quick note saying that last night I attended a world premiere screening of "The Dog Problem", which was attended by Scott Caan (who directed the film), Giovanni Ribisi, and Mena Suvari. That was neat.

09-12-2006, 08:05 PM	#11
Sean P Kelly SMBHQ Mod Movies Mod Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Toronto, ON, Canada Gender: Posts: 3,232 Thanks: 9 Thanked 41 Times in 32 Posts Points: 175,593.91 Bank: 61,283.41 Total Points: 236,877.32 Donate	Episode Five: Shift Three Today’s shift was a little on the slow side. There were more press screenings than public screenings (in fact, there was only one public screening starting during my shift) and, as such, there wasn’t any of the hectic activity such as collecting tickets and guiding people to the cinemas. My main task today was as an usher during a press screening of an Austrian film called “Falling.” It was definitely not fun standing for the entire length of a film, especially one that wasn’t in English and was also essentially a “chick flick” (also, since there were plenty of empty seats, me being there was basically a formality). This morning I picked tickets for a documentary on the last presidential election called “So Goes the Nation,” which I will see on Thursday. This was a second replacement after I was told that my first choice was sold out at the box office. I also plan on heading back to the box office tomorrow morning to exchange the voucher I received today for a film on Saturday. I will also log my final volunteer shift this Friday.

09-16-2006, 10:17 PM	#12
Sean P Kelly SMBHQ Mod Movies Mod Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Toronto, ON, Canada Gender: Posts: 3,232 Thanks: 9 Thanked 41 Times in 32 Posts Points: 175,593.91 Bank: 61,283.41 Total Points: 236,877.32 Donate	Today was the final day of the Toronto Film Festival. I’m sorry for not posting my final volunteer log, but since my final shift nearly consisted entirely of tearing tickets, there was nothing much to write anyway. So, what about the films I saw this year? Well, I already spoke about “The Dog Problem,” last Monday. On Thursday night I went to the premiere screening of the documentary “…So Goes the Nation,” which was about the 2004 US Presidential Election and, more specifically, how the votes in Ohio were the deciding factor. Today involved three festival firsts for me: It officially made this year the first year I saw more than two films, it was the first day I saw more than one film in a day, and it featured my first film in the infamous “Midnight Madness” programme. First up today was “Love and Other Disasters” staring Britney Murphy, which was a romantic comedy that both acknowledged and tried to avoid the clichés of the genre. This made for a very enjoyable movie, especially a hilarious cameo by two big name actors towards the end of the film. Second was the “Midnight Madness” film “Severence.” This British horror-comedy was billed in the description as “The Office meets Deliverance.” The plot itself is a horror film, but elements such as character reactions, playing around with clichés, and even the music made this film very funny. This was definitely a great way for me to finish the festival. So, another film festival has come to an end and it was definitely my best festival experience in the four years I’ve been attending. Hopefully next year will be even better.