As time passed, the crowd grew larger and extended all the way from the entrance of the cinema. Even those who had not paid much attention to the film festival couldn't help but become curious as they passed by. They approached and inquired about which movie was being screened today, to ignite such a fervor for film viewing.
Even various reporters rushed over after receiving the news. By lunchtime, the rush line had exceeded eight hundred people. The last time such a scene occurred was in 2008, when "Slumdog Millionaire" sparked a film frenzy with over one thousand five hundred people in the queue. Today's situation seemed equally if not more frantic, catching the reporters somewhat unprepared once again.
For the Toronto Film Festival, the annual audience numbers consistently exceeded three hundred and fifty thousand. This year, there was even a chance to break four hundred thousand, with the fervor of film viewing surging year after year.
However, since most movie tickets were sold out before the opening, the fans joining the rush line on-site were still limited. For a single film, a queue extending over two hundred meters was already considered popular. It was common to find a rush line at the entrance of every cinema, as audiences chose the films they liked.
Blockbusters like "Slumdog Millionaire" did exist, but they generally had reasons behind their success. It could be that the film was exceptionally good, highly praised by critics; or perhaps the director was famous with significant influence; or maybe the cast was extraordinary, with just the fervent fans enough to set the scene ablaze. Or, in the case of "Slumdog Millionaire", it had a special appeal to Indian immigrants, British audiences with colonial history, and Canadians with close ties to India and Britain.
However, "Buried" did not possess any of these conditions. Media reviews? Six positive, three negative. Not bad at all, especially for a suspenseful thriller, but it hadn't completely set the market on fire. Director and actors? An unknown figure and a budding newcomer, recognized by only a limited audience. Public relations and promotion? This independent film didn't even have a distribution company yet, let alone public relations. Almost no one had heard of this film until the premiere two days ago.
So, why?
After the premiere of "Buried", the media did indeed make a bit of a fuss. Whether it was the pleasant surprise brought by the film itself, the curiosity about newcomer actor Renly Hall, or the attention on the rumored relationship between Natalie and Renly, it successfully propelled "Buried" ahead of "The Town" to become the biggest focus in the past twenty-four hours. However, this still couldn't explain the eight-hundred-person rush line. Everything was just too exaggerated!
In the current year of 2010, the influence of Facebook and YouTube had gradually become a new force in the media, and the impact of the internet on society could be seen in various aspects. However, the disruptive power of online media on traditional industries hadn't fully manifested yet. Taking film promotion as an example, while public relations teams realized the necessity of online promotion, their emphasis was limited. Traditional forms of promotion, such as television, radio, and on-site events, still played a significant role.
In other words, the power of social networks in the "real-time era" was only just beginning to sprout. People had barely scratched the surface of the internet's formidable force.
The Yahoo community had been ablaze with fervor for the past few months, and finally, on the international stage of Toronto, it erupted with tremendous energy. Many internet users rushed to Toronto, solely for Renly Hall! "Buried" naturally became their undisputed choice.
Indeed, from media reviews to the film itself, "Buried" couldn't be considered top-tier. Yet, everyone had overlooked a key point: Renly Hall. Even Andy Rogers had overlooked it.
When Chanelle realized it, she noticed that she had been completely surrounded by the people in the queue.
Due to the queue's "s"-shaped formation, as the line moved forward, the people around her changed constantly. Regardless of these changes, everyone eagerly struck up conversations with Chanelle. Some had attended the premiere and enthusiastically shared their thoughts on that day's viewing experience. Some had seen the lone morning screening from yesterday and were eager to discuss the film. Of course, most hadn't seen the film yet. Thus, some discussed "The Pacific", some debated two singles, and some discussed Renly Hall...
The queue beside Chanelle never seemed to decrease. The crowd changed from one wave to the next. After turning a corner, the companions she had parted with earlier crossed paths with her once again. They picked up the previously interrupted conversation and continued chatting. Towards the end, some even diverged from "Buried" and Renly Hall, exchanging views on other movies and passionately discussing them.
At this moment, Chanelle truly felt the enthusiasm of the Toronto Film Festival. Some audience members even had graying hair. They were Canadians who had attended the Toronto Film Festival for as long as fifteen years, persisting unwaveringly, rain or shine. Their pure and sincere passion was deeply moving.
Unconsciously, it was already four in the afternoon. Chanelle wasn't even aware of the passing time. She couldn't even recall whether she had had lunch or not. Her memory was hazy. She vaguely remembered everyone taking out pre-prepared sandwiches, hamburgers, or soda biscuits to satisfy their hunger, but she couldn't recall what she had eaten. If it weren't for her parched throat, reminding her that she had been chatting tirelessly for hours on end, she would have thought that only half an hour had passed.
"Finally," Tyronn's voice sounded again. Chanelle looked ahead and indeed, there were now fewer than fifteen people in front of them. The lengthy wait was finally coming to an end.
Following the queue as it moved forward quickly, when it was Tyronn's turn, the ticket seller offered an apologetic smile, "I'm sorry, all the seats for "Buried" have been sold out."
"No!" Tyronn and Chanelle hadn't even spoken yet, but upon hearing the response, the others behind them collapsed, clutching their heads and wailing while squatting down. "How can this be?" They had waited for a full six hours, only to end up with nothing? It was absolutely maddening.
Tyronn didn't react for a moment, staring blankly for a moment. His reaction was slightly delayed, and then he began to wail, "No way!" Tyronn's smiling face instantly fell, just like a melting candle. "Wasn't it said that over half of the remaining tickets were available for this film? Wasn't it said that no one was interested in this film at all? Wasn't it said that today's theater could accommodate six hundred people? How can this be?"
The ticket seller seemed to be accustomed to such situations, facing them with a resigned shrug and jokingly remarking, "Just look at the queue behind you."
Turning her head, Chanelle observed the immense queue that still had at least four hundred people or more. Some individuals had just arrived at the scene, their expressions equally bewildered at the sight.
Chanelle couldn't hold back anymore. She walked directly over to Tyronn's side and inquired, "But I checked, after today's sold-out show, there's only one screening left, right? Tomorrow at noon?"
After receiving confirmation, Chanelle's discontent erupted, "Then take a look at the queue behind us. How many more audience members actually want to see this film? There's only one more screening tomorrow, and that's it. What does that mean? It means that most viewers won't have the chance to see it."
The ticket seller opened his mouth as if to explain, but Chanelle, furious, didn't give him a chance, "Isn't the criterion of a film festival to let all viewers see quality films and share the joy of watching movies together?" Remembering the passionate discussion she had just engaged in with everyone, Chanelle felt a sense of grievance. She felt it was unfair to the "Buried" crew, as well as for the genuine viewers who wanted to watch the film but couldn't. "Did all the tickets for "The Town" sell out today? The queue for that film today isn't even a fifth of the one for "Buried", but for the next six days, there's a screening every day. What does that indicate? Is the Toronto Film Festival's official organizing committee pressuring all viewers to choose "The Town" over "Buried"?"
Chanelle wasn't targeting "The Town" specifically. In fact, she hadn't seen that film, so she had no intentions of passing judgment. However, "The Town" had just inadvertently collided with her argument.
"Miss," the ticket seller was adept at handling such situations. He encountered them almost every year. Most of the attendees at the film festival were passionate film enthusiasts, naturally prone to being excited. "If you want to request an additional screening, you can communicate with the duty manager next to you, and then report it to the authorities. That's how additional screenings can be arranged."
Every year there were films that added extra screenings. This was also a sign of the popularity of the film festival. Therefore, the Toronto Film Festival held an open attitude towards additional screenings. Last year alone, six films had additional screenings. Among them, "Precious", which won the People's Choice Award, had a whopping eleven additional screenings.
Chanelle hadn't expected such a response, and Tyronn standing beside her left no breathing space. He turned around and shouted at the queue behind them, "Additional screening! Additional screening! Additional screening!"
The attendees who had willingly arrived early in the morning today knew very well that "Buried" only had two more screenings, today and tomorrow. If they missed today's screening, their hopes for tomorrow would become even more remote. Thus, upon hearing Tyronn's shout, everyone joined in the chorus, "Additional screening!"
The synchronized chant reverberated through the square. Every face was adorned with brilliant smiles and excited expressions. Regardless of whether "Buried" was worth watching, they believed that only after seeing it themselves could they make a judgment. At the moment, they were eager to watch this highly-discussed film. However, they couldn't, so they questioned whether the meaning of the film festival still held true.
"Additional screening! Additional screening! Additional screening!"
The waves of chanting surged higher and higher. Chanelle couldn't help but be stirred emotionally. She raised her right hand high, clenched her fist tightly, and vigorously waved it, joining the ranks of everyone else, "Additional screening!" In that moment, they were all united.