TIFF fatigue is a serious thing that tends to set in fairly early. It takes stamina to stay engaged throughout the ten-day festival, especially for truly committed partiers, stargazers and show-goers—some of whom have been averaging five flicks a day. We asked some hard-core fans milling about the Bell Lightbox (in the rain, unfortunately) about their endurance strategies for surviving the festival. Here, eight TIFF fiends on the benefits of caffeine, good company and effective bladder management.
<strong>Name:</strong> Vincent Panepinto<br /><br />
<strong>Age:</strong> 27<br /><br />
<strong>Profession:</strong> Startup Founder<br /><br />
“I'm seeing two films today and I normally can't even sit through one because I have a bad bladder. I'll definitely need to claim an aisle seat.”
<strong>Name:</strong> Sheila Stene<br /><br />
<strong>Age:</strong> 67<br /><br />
<strong>Profession:</strong> Semi-retired Teacher<br /><br />
“I've seen 25 films so far and I'm seeing five today. I don't normally drink coffee, but it definitely helps gets me through. I've had to be in rush lines quite a bit, so chatting and socializing gives you a break.”
<strong>Name:</strong> Vanessa Iaboni<br /><br />
<strong>Age:</strong> 23<br /><br />
<strong>Profession:</strong> Teacher<br /><br />
“If you have to wait in line, have a friend with you!”
<strong>Name:</strong> Mike Muntz<br /><br />
<strong>Age:</strong> 31<br /><br />
<strong>Profession:</strong> Provincial Government Employee<br /><br />
“You need to have patience. Mingling and talking about films passes the time. Tim Hortons helps.”
<strong>Name:</strong> Omar Siddiqui<br /><br />
<strong>Age:</strong> 21<br /><br />
<strong>Profession:</strong> Student<br /><br />
“I'm from Mississauga, so getting here really early helps. Also coffee. Quite a lot of coffee.”
<strong>Name:</strong> Christian Giansante<br /><br />
<strong>Age:</strong> 17<br /><br />
<strong>Profession:</strong> Student<br /><br />
“I drink a lot of water. I also try to see movies in theatres that are close to each other. Sharing music helps, too.”
<strong>Name:</strong> Simon Penic<br /><br />
<strong>Age:</strong> 29<br /><br />
<strong>Profession:</strong> Office Administrator<br /><br />
“I usually line up three to four hours prior to a movie. Talking to festival-goers, listening to music and reading books are all good ways to make the time pass.”
<strong>Name:</strong> Justin Penic<br /><br />
<strong>Age:</strong> 29<br /><br />
<strong>Profession:</strong> Construction Worker<br /><br />
“We usually switch off who waits in line. Also, beer helps you get through it all.”