While all passes are sold out, you can still get into that cool doc — if you've got the right stuff. Here's what you need to know to navigate the fest without a pass:
So what's this NRT business?
T/F screenings never "sell out," they go NRT — No Reserved Tickets — which means that all the tickets reserved for passholders and Gateway Packets for that film have been claimed. They're not all gone, though. A percentage of the seats are saved for people from the Q. Have faith in the Q (more on this later).
If a show does not go NRT during the passholder filmgrab, the remaining allotment will be released as individual tickets. There are two ways to buy them.
One: with a Gateway Packet. For $35 you can buy three tickets from a list of films (yes, they can be the same film) and pick them up at the T/F box office starting Wednesday, Feb 26, from 5 to 8pm, then Thursday, Feb 27, starting at 9am. Packets will be on sale from Monday, Feb 17 @ 6pm, to Friday, Feb 21 @ 6pm, so act fast.
Two: at the True/False box office starting at noon on Thursday the 27. This is always a madhouse, so get there early — like really early. Q numbers (for your place in line) are handed out at 9am. After your get your number, get breakfast, take a stroll and return to the box at 11:50.
Note: sometimes there are still tickets available till like around Saturday. There are a ton of seats in Jesse Hall! But each year tickets sell out sooner and sooner.
The True/False box office is on the corner of Hitt & Broadway, just down the street from Ragtag. If you came last year, you know the building. This year it's in the old Dreamcatcher space, next to a burrito joint.
So, you've been talking about this "Q" thing. Um, what?
The Q is a fun way of spelling "queue," which, of course, is British for "line."
The Q is the line you wait in for a film if you don't have a ticket. Here's how you get into that line:
1. Pick a movie. A lot of movies play at different venues. Pick one in the largest venue for maximum Q-age.
2. Show up an hour before the showtime and look for someone with exuberant attire. That will be the Queen. Queens are a walking, talking encyclopedia of Fest knowledge. They also hand out the Q numbers. Ask for one (you can only have one). They'll only do it an hour before the movie, so don't bother begging. And they don't take bribes.
3. Once you have your number, go find a bathroom, get something to eat, take a power nap and come back 15 minutes before showtime to your place in line. If you have number 43, look for 42 and stand behind her. Then start praying that they call your number. When your number is called you will then pay for your ticket (cash only) and begin the search for an empty seat. Enjoy the movie!
I mentioned earlier that there are a certain number of seats saved for Qers. This ranges from around 11 in the Willy Wilson Theater at Ragtag (the small one, a/k/a Little Ragtag) to well over a hundred at the larger venues (The Blue Note, the MO Theatre, Jesse Hall). Also keep in mind that not every passholder with a ticket will show. My girlfriend just reserved 18 tickets. Is she gonna see 18 films? Maybe...but probably not. Girl's gotta eat sometime. And when you throw secret, raging parties into the mix, yeah, those 10am screenings on Saturday and Sunday start looking pretty easy to get into from the Q.
Check out the True/False website for more helpful fest tips. Ask us questions at [email protected].
Boo!
