Kathy H.
Yelp
Quick tips:
- First floor seating, middle to back rows, you'll get the best view. When you're upstairs, people ahead will block the bottom of the screen (blocking subtitles). THIS IS BAD!! I missed all the subtitles for Last Day In Vietnam. First floor seating, you're LOOKING UP to the screen. You won't block anyone, and no one will block you.
- Q&A is a lot of fun!!! This is when the film features an evening where the filmmaker, director, god daughter (Keep On Keepin' On) etc....will be up on stage to share their experiences as well as to answer personal questions. Try to make it out!! They fly all the way to Toronto specifically to watch the film with us and talk to us about their work. Who wants to come to Toronto, seriously right? Even if questions or the audience are lousy (I can bitch about this all day), I always learn something new at these Q&A events.
==========WHY HERE??
My friend is really, really into TIFF that he takes a week off his actual job just to work at the TIFF Festival and watch films all day. Hot Docs Festival is similar, except it's all documentaries.
Clearly we are not similar.
Bloor Hot Docs Cinema shows a new list of documentaries every two weeks. If you missed one, you won't see it again until Bloor Cinema decides to include it again. So it cycles through old and new documentaries twice a month. I don't always find something interesting to watch.... but somehow I end up coming to this theatre at least twice a month.
However I do have:
==========FILM SUBSCRIPTIONS
There are a two types of packages (ticket bundles) you can get:
- Doc Soup subscription, a part of Hot Docs Festival (I paid $211.79 with tax for 2014-2015 subscription) - Every first week of the month from Oct-April, they feature a documentary from last year's Hot Docs Festival, films that made Sundance's selection, films that made SXSW selection, etc.. Every screening for Doc Soup, somebody who worked on the film (director, producer, cameraman) will be up on stage for post-film Q&A. You'll also get 10 tickets for the next Hot Docs Festival. So this package will work out to be $12.46 per ticket (regularly they'd be $13.27+HST+$1 non-member fee). DOWNSIDE: it's available only months before October. AND if you've already watched a lot of docs, you'll probably have seen the films they show. You won't know the film they choose to show until three weeks before the date.
- Bloor Cinema memberships, NOT Hot Docs Festival, but with the theatre itself - different pricing levels starting at $39. You'll get some free tickets, a discount on all future tickets (as well as discount for the Hot Docs Festival), some popcorn coupons, and you won't have to pay the $1 (per ticket) fee. I hate this fee. Technically you'll save at least $3 per ticket. That is, if you go often enough (like I do). With this, you do not get 10 advance tickets for the Hot Docs Festival (like above) but there is no deadline when buying Bloor Cinema membership. You can buy a membership any time.
AND YES, you can buy single tickets to ANY film ANY time -you don't need a subscription to watch Doc Soup films.
==========THE CROWD
I come alone for Doc Soup. It's sort of my "getaway from all life's stress" evening. I never ask questions during Q&A, but I get to sit and watch quietly. I have also fallen asleep during the Q&A (some are seriously boring) and during the movies (some are seriously boring).
The people here range depending on the film, of course. With the Doc Soup subscription screening (first Wednesday and Thursday of the month), majority of people are gray hair, healthy folks. Probably retired, very friendly, and they have this "I love my life" look on their face.
During regular screenings, people are couples, younger, sometimes louder.
For the Madonna Truth or Dare documentary, there was a "party" that started an hour before the movie. There was a DJ, beer special, and people brought their drinks to their seats. We had the winner of a small voguing competition (and two people from the audience) come up on stage to dance (and vogue). The crowd here was a little tipsy but made the movie so much fun. (I also had two pints before coming here, woohoo!)
Doc Soup days: 100% full
Regular days: 10-50% full
==========THE THEATRE...
The lobby is so small. The box office is also super small and right at the door. It's a little messy when there are LOTS of people. Washrooms are upstairs.
We don't get the obnoxious crowd for documentaries, so the theatre stays clean and quiet. People don't push each other when getting in/out.
Staff are always around to find you a seat when the theatre gets full.
I think my favourite guy is the man facilitating the Q&A at the screening of Point And Shoot. He directed the conversation so well and he asked amazing questions. Thank you, favourite guy!