Donna in Hollywoodland

AFI Film Festival Day 4

I have never seen 4 movies in one day. But today I did.

Whenever we work at a shift for the AFI Film Festival , they give us a Voucher. And that can be exchanged for a ticket
to any movie.
Or, your festival volunteer badge will let you into any movie that is not sold out, and has seating.

So the first thing I did, I went to the Volunteer check-in area to get my vouchers from the last two nights that I have volunteered.
I took my vouchers to the Boxoffice, and I exchanged them for tickets to two morning movies.

The first movie I was was "Somebodies" . A funny look at young adults who are deciding, since they are no longer in school, if they are going to party all the time, or if they are going to following the straight and narrow and attend church. It a humorous story about young people trying to figure out how to live their lives.

In between movies, I met up with two friends in the lobby. We were calling eachother on our cell phones.
But none of us had gotten tickets to the same movie. All three of us wanted to see something else.
So we made plans to meet in the lobby later on, and we all went in different directions to see our different films.

I kept seeing Kirsten Dunst going in and out of movies. She seemed to be watching as many movies and I was. I even ran into her in the ladies room. She was just in Shorts, and very casual. At first I didn't recognize her.

I then went and saw a movie called "Full Grown Men" - very colorfully done. And I enjoyed watching the lead actor.

Since all I ate all day was concession stand food, I stopped off in the Arclight Cinemas
Cafe for a Chinese Chicken Salad.
I called both of my friends on their cell phone. I got no answered because I guess they were still watching their movies.

Then, I headed over to my Volunteer Shift.
The movie was "Stephanie Daily" a serious drama starring Tilda Swinton.
I did the "Clicker" - clicking the little metal thing as each person walked in, so as to keep a count as to how many people went inside the theatre.
Then I went in to watch the movie.

Next, the movie was "Kurt Cobain About A Son" . One of my friends came to the movie - so we actually got to see eachother.
This screening was fun, because it wasn't the usual film festival people. Alot of the people attending were Rock & Rollers who obviously don't go to many film festivals.
They didn't understand that there is a Ballot that each person checks off in the end, so the AFI Film Fest can give an "Audience Choice Award".
So I had to give many of the people instructions on how to do this.

And some of the patrons are just figuring out how the entire ticketing/pass thing works.
One patron came over to me "Are you letting people in your theatre with just a pass?" she asked me.
"Yes, a pass will get you in to see the movie." I said.
She replied "Well, thats what I explained to the manager in the next theatre and he told me we have to have tickets".
I then explained to her, that some of the events require a separate ticket because it is assigned seating. These are usually the ones they expect to sell-out, because there is a big celebrity speaking.
And other events take either tickets or passes because it is general "sit where ever you want" seating.
So there is a difference.

After the movie, I went up to the top of the Arclight parking structure - where the Cinema Lounge is at.
I had told my two friends (who had disappeared into their movies) to meet me up there at the end of the night.
They are having musicians playing music.

I saw one of the Managers I had worked with.
"Can I get into the Cinema Lounge to listen to the music?"
He answered, No, that the volunteers are only allowed into the Cinema Lounge during the afternoon. I can't go
in there in the evening. "But you can try it" was his last word of advice.

I walked to the Cinema Lounge door. And peaked inside, there was plenty of space.
Once of my fellow volunteers stopped me.
"No volunteers can't come in.", he said.
"Oh, Okay".
Well, I tried.

I ran into the Volunteer Coordinator who was sitting in the outside area.
"Gee, why can't we go into the Cinema Lounge? I just want to listen to the music."
He had a look on his face that said I was about the millionth volunteer to ask him this question, and he just shook his head.
We chatted for a bit, and then I just headed home.

Labels: afi, afifest, film, filmfestival, hollywood, movie