My Failed First TIFF Experience

This is what pretending to be happy looks like.

Yesterday I attended TIFF and my first experience went bad. Initially, I wasn't even suppose to go until hours before when my friend's brother cancelled on her and took me as her replacement to see Perks of Being A Wallflower. Having just read the book I was still infatuated (interviews, forums, videos, I've read/seen it all) with it and traveled two hours to get there. Little did I know that was the high of the day.

As a volunteer, my friend got vouchers to see films during the festival as a token of gratitude. We had two options: line up at the box office to exchange it for tickets or... go to the rush line and take unclaimed seats. Knowing how long the line up is at the box office, the rush line was a better gamble. Still, there were no guarantees.

This is what a (Depp) shit storm looks like...

We arrive in line an hour before the film were to start. The line happened to stop at the exit the actors/actresses take to leave. Lucky for us (this is half sarcasm) Johnny Depp was next and a growing crowd was waiting for his departure. Once he did, the crowd went rabid and it was terrifying and exhilarating. I saw the back of his head. Woo me.

...and this is what prepared people during a storm looks like.

Once the crowd dissipated, the rush line was finally apparent. Then it started raining. For some reason, everyone else knew about this thirty minute blip in an otherwise perfectly sound weather. Even passer-by (parades of them even) were prepared and I was tempted to snatch one from them. 

Then we were told the movie was starting late. Me? I was hungry and getting impatient. Wet.

Let's look at Ezra and Emma on the red carpet. OH WAIT IT'S EMPTY. Just like my heart.

Then we got the news. There were no more seats and we would not get to see the film. I was devastated. Having traveled two hours and endured the waiting, raining, and rabid Depp fans I was hopeful it was going to be worth it. That I would see the film. But I didn't. To make it worse, we were 15th in line when it got cut off. I was hoping at least to see a glimpse of Emma or Ezra but nope, fate was to be brutal and offer no consolation. My TIFF experience was a complete bust.

Then I lived happily every after. NOT.