Extra Screening!
As time passed, the crowd grew larger and larger, extending from the entrance of the cinema all the way back. Even people who had no interest in the film festival couldn't help but become curious as they passed by, asking what movie was showing today that could cause such a frenzy.
Reporters from various media outlets rushed over upon hearing the news. By lunchtime, the peak crowd had already surpassed 800 people. The last time such a scene occurred was in 2008 when "Slumdog Millionaire" drew crowds of over 1,500 people. Today's situation seemed to be getting crazier, catching the reporters off guard once again.
For the Toronto Film Festival, the audience numbers exceed 350,000 each year, with a chance to break 400,000 this year. The movie-watching craze grows more intense with each passing year.
However, since most tickets were sold out before the festival even started, the number of fans joining the peak queues on-site was still limited. For a single film, a queue stretching beyond 200 yards was considered popular. Often, every cinema entrance had long lines, with audiences choosing to watch their preferred films.
Movies like "Slumdog Millionaire," which become annual blockbusters, do exist, but there are usually reasons for it. Perhaps the movie is exceptionally good, critics have raved about it, the director is extremely famous, the cast is extraordinary, or the film has a special appeal, such as "Slumdog Millionaire" to Indian immigrants, British audiences, or Canadian viewers who have close ties with the UK and India.
However, "Buried" did not possess any of these conditions. Media reviews? Six positive and three negative, not bad, especially for a thriller, but it didn't completely ignite the market. The director and actor? An unknown director and a fresh new actor, Renly, with limited recognition. Publicity? This independent film hadn't even found a distributor yet, let alone a publicity campaign. Before its premiere two days ago, almost no one had heard of it.
So, why?
After the premiere of "Buried," the media buzzed with excitement, whether it was the surprise brought by the film itself, curiosity about the new actor Renly, or the rumors surrounding Renly and Natalie. This successfully made "Buried" the top focus over "The Town" in the past 24 hours. But this still couldn't explain the 800-people peak queue; everything seemed too exaggerated.
In 2010, the influence of Facebook and YouTube was gradually becoming a new media force, and the impact of the internet on social life was visible in all aspects. However, the full impact of online media on traditional industries hadn't completely emerged yet. Taking movie promotion as an example, PR teams recognized the necessity of online promotion, arranging relevant content, but the emphasis was still limited. Traditional methods like TV, radio, and on-site promotions remained dominant.
In other words, the "real-time era" brought by social networks was just beginning to sprout. People had only glimpsed the tip of the iceberg of the internet's power.
Yahoo Community had been bustling in recent months, finally exploding with great energy on the international stage in Toronto. Many netizens flocked to Toronto for one reason: Renly! Naturally, "Buried" became their top choice.
Indeed, "Buried" couldn't be considered top-notch in terms of media reviews or the film itself, but everyone overlooked one core point: Renly. Even Andy Rogers overlooked this.
When Chanel realized it, she noticed she was already surrounded by the queue.
Because the queue was in an "S" shape, as it moved forward, the people around her kept changing. But no matter how the people changed, everyone was eager to talk to Chanel. Some had attended the premiere, excitedly sharing their viewing experiences with her. Some had watched the only screening yesterday morning, urgently wanting to discuss the film. Most hadn't seen it yet, so some discussed "The Pacific," some talked about two singles, and some discussed Renly Hall.
The queue around Chanel never dwindled. People came and went, turned a corner, met old acquaintances again, and resumed previous conversations. Eventually, they even started discussing other films, exchanging views passionately.
At this moment, Chanel truly felt the enthusiasm of the Toronto Film Festival. Some viewers had gray hair and had been attending the festival for fifteen years, consistently and unwaveringly, moved by their pure and simple passion for films.
Unknowingly, it was already four o'clock in the afternoon. Chanel hadn't even noticed the passage of time. She vaguely remembered everyone taking out pre-prepared sandwiches, hamburgers, or soda crackers to stave off hunger, but she couldn't recall what she ate. If not for her dry, parched throat reminding her she had been chatting non-stop for hours, she would have thought only half an hour had passed.
"Finally." Tyron's voice rang out again. Chanel looked ahead and saw there were only about fifteen people left in front of them. The long wait was finally about to end.
Following the queue quickly forward, when it was Tyron's turn, the ticket seller smiled apologetically, "Sorry, 'Buried' is sold out."
"No!" Before Tyron and Chanel could react, the people behind them, hearing this, collapsed, holding their heads and squatting down in anguish, "How can this be!" They had waited for six hours or more, only to be turned away at the end? It was heartbreaking.
Tyron was stunned for a moment, his delayed reaction leading to a late wail, "No way!" Tyron's smile instantly melted away like wax, "Wasn't it said that more than half of the tickets for this film were still available? Wasn't it said that no one was watching this film? Wasn't it a 600-seat venue today? How could this happen?"
The ticket seller seemed used to such situations, shrugging helplessly and half-jokingly said, "Look at the queue behind you."
Turning around, they saw the vast queue of over 400 people, with more people arriving and looking bewildered at the long line.
Chanel couldn't hold back and directly walked to Tyron's side, asking, "But I checked, after today, there's only one more screening at one o'clock tomorrow, right?" After getting a confirmed answer, Chanel's frustration erupted, "Then look at the queue behind us, how many more people want to see this film? Tomorrow is the last screening. This means most people won't have the chance to see it."
The ticket seller opened his mouth to explain, but Chanel, fueled by anger, didn't give him the chance, "Isn't the principle of the film festival to let everyone watch quality films and share the joy of watching films together?" Recalling the heated discussions with everyone earlier, Chanel felt a wave of grievance, both for the "Buried" crew and the genuine fans who wanted to see the film but couldn't, "Has 'The Town' sold out all its tickets today? Its queue isn't even a fifth of 'Buried,' but it has a screening every day for the next six days. What does this mean? Is the Toronto Film Festival forcing everyone to choose 'The Town' instead of 'Buried'?"
Chanel had no intention of targeting "The Town." In fact, she hadn't seen it yet and had no plans to judge it. However, "The Town" happened to be in the firing line.
"Miss," the ticket seller was quite experienced in handling such situations, encountering a few each year. Most film festival attendees were avid film enthusiasts, naturally more passionate, "If you want to request additional screenings, you can communicate with the on-duty manager over there, who can relay your request to the officials, and only then can extra screenings be arranged."
Every year, some films have additional screenings, marking the popularity of the film festival. Toronto Film Festival is open to adding screenings, with six films having extra screenings last year. The film "Precious," which won the People's Choice Award, had eleven additional screenings.
Chanel hadn't anticipated such a response, and standing next to her, Tyron didn't leave room for breathing space. He turned and shouted to the queue behind them, "Extra screening! Extra screening! Extra screening!"
Today's early-arriving audience knew that "Buried" only had two screenings left, today and tomorrow. Missing today would make tomorrow's hope even slimmer. So, hearing Tyron's shout, everyone joined in, "Extra screening!"
The unified chant echoed across the square. Faces lit up with bright smiles and excitement. Whether "Buried" was worth watching or not, they believed one thing: they needed to see it themselves to judge. At this moment, they desperately wanted to see this hotly debated film but couldn't. So, what was the point of the film festival?
"Extra screening! Extra screening! Extra screening!"
The chant grew louder, and Chanel felt her spirit surge. She raised her right hand high, clenched her fist, and waved it vigorously, joining the crowd, "Extra screening!" At this moment, they were one.