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| - This review is from my various experiences during 3 years worth of tiff. A gala event here is something that is definitely fun to dress up for, especially given its proximity to some fancy dining options before or after the movie.
The fan experience here is not super at red carpet, but you do get a better experience than at the Elgin, the red carpet is visible from the outside and fans have more space to crowd around for a view.
There are also a few movies that host after parties at the Bell Lightbox, and that venue is also open for fans to keep trying to catch glimpses of their stars (how you figure out which movies are hosting after gala events there I have no clue).
Back to RTH though, the big plus is that even if you're on the rush line you stand a very good chance of getting in (unless you're pretty far back). The RTH probably hosts more big name gala events than any other venue at tiff and it's acousitcs make it a better experience for a large scale movie compared with the Elgin (I could be easily mistaken though).
The cast and directors/producers always sit on the first balcony level on the first section to the left (facing the front) from the middle, if you do have the option of where to sit, you might want to seat yourself at a prime location to catch a glimpse of them stand up at the end to acknowledge the applause.
The building looks as good inside as it does from the exterior, ushers are friendly, there are ample bars and concession stands so you're not in line for too long.
Hint - parking here is surprisingly not more expensive than surrounding car parks, and keep an eye out for times when you might be able to park for free (not during the evenings though), either it's legit or I was just lucky to catch the one time they failed to check for tickets on a weekend afternoon.
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