TIFF Web site down for many determined ticket purchasers
Many eager cinephiles spent this morning yelling at their computers when they attempted to purchase tickets for TIFF screenings and found that the festival’s Web site was down. The single tickets went on sale this morning, which led to heavy traffic and the spotty availability of tiff.net throughout the day. @TIFF_NET tweeted at approximately 7:30 a.m., “We hear your concerns. The technical team is working hard to fix ASAP. Customer volume is significant at the moment. Thx for your patience” and then, an hour later, TIFF co-director Cameron Bailey tweeted, “Our team is working hard on it. Major demand.” According to another tweeter, @fyang, hammering the refresh button will make orders go through, but the TIFF interactive team is still working on fixing the problem. Calls to the festival’s head office were not returned.
UPDATE at 2:12 p.m.: The TIFF Web site is still down for many visitors, but Vice-President of Communications Jennifer Bell tells us that internal and external personnel to TIFF are currently working as fast as they can to get the site working again. “It is an overwhelming demand today compared to last year,” Bell says, adding that 10,000 users logged into the site simultaneously at 7 a.m. this morning. “That is unprecedented for us.” Let’s hope this phenomenon is a harbinger of a successful TIFF packed with excited cinefiles, and not a harbinger of massive lines and frustrated audiences.
To be clear, 10,000 people were NOT able to log into the website. You couldn’t even get on the page, let alone “log in”. They didn’t anticipate they might get 10,000 ticket buyers? Is this not the same festival that is building a multimillion-dollar headquarters, and adding an extra day of screenings? A mere 10,000 web users crashes their site?
Seriously, that’s a pretty small number, actually, for an international festival the size of TIFF. You’d think they’d have tested their new ‘shopping cart’ site. Must be BELL that provides their crappy web servers.
my friend and I have been purchasing tickets to the TIFF since 2004 and have always been successful at getting gala tix for what we wanted to see EXCEPT this year (the absolute worst–was at computer from 7 to 2 pm–didn’t get either of the films we wanted) and last year.
what’s changed?
the institution of the new donor’s privileges last year has very sadly changed this wonderful, democratic, people- and fan-driven festival into another fat cats’ parade.
I cannot believe the absolute failure of the TIFF technical staff. So many Torontonians were left high and dry this morning. Not only was the website a bust, but many could not get through the phone lines either. As expected those who decided to wait in line, while the rest of us were at work, had the clear advantage of getting the most sought after tickets (ie. Black Swan, etc.). How can you not expect to have 10,000 people log in? University course registration sites in Toronto handle loads up to 30,000 people. The failure of ticket booking shouldn’t be a cause for excitement about TIFF being packed with excited movie goers. It should be an EMBARRASSMENT for being unable to provide all movie goers an equal opportunity to purchase tickets. Absolutely pitiful.
A key difference between this year and last are both a Gala film debut and a personal Mavericks appearance by an artist who has regularly crashed Ticketmaster systems along the U.S. east coast and noticeably slows the internet when his tour shows go on sale. An artist who just a year ago sold out 5 nights at Giants Stadium in New Jersey (56,000 people per night). Yes, Bruce Springsteen. Star power.
Sun Sept 6 ticket buying still a bust on-line + tel lines. Am verrry disappointed to have spent hours since Sep 3 trying to buy tickets. If not fixed could see TIFF go downhill for getting crowds in. General public buy tickets which fuels the hype for the festival…TIFF organizers listen up! Get your house in order!
Isn’t this suppose to be one of the biggest film festivals in the world??? The way tiff handled the ticket situation this year was terrible. Get your act together and figure out how to work the lines (phone lines and online). Maybe making it the Rogers lightbox. They could probably handle 10 000 web browsers.