Sun readers, competing journalists and celebrities alike are weighing in about TIFF and the nature of corporate elitism that has pervaded this year's festival. Here's a sampling of letters and comments Bruce Kirkland received this past week:

From fest-goers

Mr. Kirkland, thank you so much for exposing the TIFF as the money-grubbing farce it has become. My wife and I have attended and supported the festival for more than 12 years. The 'regular package' of 15 films we purchased each year has suddenly this year become a 'light package.' This resulted in most of the major film showings being unavailable to us in our selections. This is in addition to the huge increase in the cost of viewing any of the films that were available. We both have decided that this is our last year. Standing in long lineups, rude TIFF employees and the increased ticket prices have ruined the event we once loved to attend. The festival organizers must know that they are destroying what was a wonderful grass-roots film festival. We need people like the late Dusty Cohl to rally against what you describe as "an elitist corporate spectacle."

Bob Arsenault & Judy Anglin

Thank you, thank you, thank you. And congratulations on your piece in the Saturday Sun. I've waited a long time for someone in the mainstream media to take a run at the unpleasant corporate monster that TIFF has become. As someone who has attended all 32 festivals -- a claim that even Piers Handling cannot make -- I've watched its decline into corporate greed with increasing sadness. It used to be fun, now it's just a chore. I always thought celebrity worship was the worst part of the film business, and the fact that TIFF has gone down that road is depressing. Those who run the fest have transformed themselves into corporate pimps. It took balls to go against the establishment.

Wyndham Wise, journalist

Thank you for your column. Your experience mirrors that of "the common people," standing in line for hours outside the AMC at Dundas/Yonge in the heat of Labour Day Monday, to pick up envelopes (one line) and then to exchange vouchers (a much longer line). My experience of four hours was typical. We come to watch movies we would not see in commercial venues. This year, the difficulty of getting tickets was more noticeable than ever. TIFF used to provide extra days to see the most popular films but has discontinued this practice for some time. I am sorry that TIFF has become so commercial. Each year ticket prices grow more and more expensive. The first programme book I bought was $10, single tickets were $6. That was 1991.

Ruth Marks

I have been attending the festival yearly since 1988 and have seen it grow in many ways, mostly positive. In the past few years, however, things have changed. While prices continue to increase significantly every year, we are getting less and less in return. The mindset from people such as Mr. Handling is truly disappointing. It seems he feels that people will still attend because the TIFF is the only game in town, and that may very well be the case. But I can assure you that the people will no longer remain quiet.

There are two specific issues that have pained many festival goers this year. First is the ticket priority given to donors. Second is the new Premium Tickets fiasco. Both are understandable but the communication (if there was any) was pathetic. Before this year, gala films were always available for a second screening that was open to festival goers at no premium. If the premium tickets were limited to galas I would have no issues. The bigger issue for me is that some films that are not galas but happen to be playing at "special" venues such as the VSR, are now considered premium tickets. That is just wrong! They want me to pay $40? How ridiculous is that?!

Lastly, please let me say this about Mr. Handling. If he cannot hear the groundswell, his head is too far in the clouds. While standing in line for five hours on Labour Day to change tickets, almost everybody in line was complaining about this year's elitist changes. I assure you that this "feedback" was given to the volunteers who managed the line, and to those handling ticket exchanges. I spoke with the volunteer that exchanged my tickets and he said that he had received constant complaints all day. Mr. Handling has me wondering if he really cares about us, since he certainly hasn't been listening.

Mark Armanios

Piers Handling's comment that he has heard no negative feedback regarding this year's new practices is either a lie or he's misinformed. I, for one, sent off an angry e-mail a few days ago mostly complaining about the price hikes at the Elgin, and the fact that ticket holders are no longer allowed to use their passes there to view movies. This infuriates me. Dedicated fest goers who shell out hundreds of dollars (in my case) have to cough up an additional $40 a movie at the Elgin. In a number of cases, the movies playing at the Elgin do not have their second screening playing at another theatre at a lower price -- rather, it is also playing at the Elgin. This is a slap in the face to loyal customers who have supported the festival for years and I, for one, will certainly look to scale back my attendance next year.

Ruth Houghton

Maybe you folks should come up to Montreal to see what a film festival designed for fans is all about. The TIFF seems to have become a big PR event, rather than a celebration of the film arts.

David Betito, Montreal

It's about time someone with some clout, such as yourself, mentioned these changes. I've been an attendee for 20 years, having started out as a volunteer. I remember when passes were still good for galas. What a joke now, charging $40 at the Elgin! And what a farce at Roy Thomson Hall -- hundreds of seats unoccupied on the main floor and lower balconies for galas. I bought my gala tickets minutes after the Internet box office first opened, and I thought that my "balcony" tickets were good for the lower levels, not just the upper-most levels, which I thought would be only for rush ticket holders. Is Piers expecting several hundred donor patrons to show up at the last minute to fill those empty seats? As well, gala tickets seem perpetually "off sale," probably scaring off many. Let's hope there are changes in store for next year to restore greater accessibility to the general public.

Thomas Kim

Thanks so much for saying this, Bruce. After being a TIFF patron for many years, I gave it up when I started seeing the roped-off sections in theatres and "VIP" rooms at parties, which prevented real movie lovers from fully participating in what was once a wonderful celebration of film. I know that on many levels the festival is a victim of its own success. But instead of moving to embrace their audience, they retreated to offer an exclusive experience to an elite few -- and that's never been what the populist nature of making movies was about.

Jim Henshaw

I couldn't agree more with you, Bruce. How to explain that on the very first day of tickets sales for Elgin's Visa Screening Room, a volunteer arrogantly told us that both 7 and 9 p.m. screening passes were sold out by noon. In our past six years of supporting and enjoying this venue, it's been tough -- but never unattainable. Everything sold out by noon! Unbelievable. Unacceptable. Thus, we boycotted TIFF this year and are unafraid to share our views with others. The handwriting's on the wall, Piers. Take a good look.

Nancy Enright

What you say regarding TIFF becoming a corporate elitist event and a farce is so true. I find it difficult to believe that when my friend and I tried to get tickets for the gala on the first day at 7 a.m., the TIFF phone lines were not responding (fast busy). Their Internet ticket sales site was down and my friend was the second in line at their sales office and they were already sold out. I find it particularly interesting that on www.ticketsnow.com days before the sale offices of TIFF were open, there was no problem getting tickets for the gala event of Burn After Reading -- for $500 each! Perhaps Piers Handling should learn the definition of the term donate -- "to present as a gift, grant, or contribution." I donate to hospitals and cancer organizations but if I get ill, I don't expect to go to the front of the health line. If you're allowed to go to the front, then it is not "donating," it is "bribery." Mr. Handling, the reason you "haven't heard anything" about such complaints is because you are not listening. This statement alone tells me Mr. Handling is not the right person to lead the "people's festival" and should resign.

John V

I am one of the 200 who was in line with you before the opening-night gala outside RTH. My friend was treated very rudely by one of the volunteers when she made enquiries as to why the queue was not moving. Many people got fed up and left. I totally agree with you that the TIFF has become an "elitist corporate spectacle." Every year for the past decade, I have purchased at least 20 tickets to screenings. I have never been given "freebies" to anything. Nor am I looking for them. The TIFF could not operate without people like me. I was totally appalled by the treatment we received.

Christine Maben

I spent a whopping $85 for two to see the "gala" screening of Burn After Reading at the Elgin at 11 a.m. last Saturday. It was my first gala. I did not know what to expect. We stood in line for more than an hour to find the first few people in were "saving" rows of prime seats for their friends. Then TIFF blocked off prime seats up front for the "donors," which remained empty throughout the entire film. Just maddening. We are soured by the whole experience.

Jacquie Raaphorst

I had a bad year as a fest goer. It began with my luck in the advanced ticket "lottery" from which I received tickets to only three out of 10 films I chose. This of course left me scrambling. I had to take an afternoon off work and line up outside in the blazing hot sun for more than an hour (since the box office at Dundas Life has a lineup limits). This experience has left me bitter as well as extremely sun burned. I've begun to wonder after nine years why I should have to jump through so many hoops just to get tickets. TIFF is supposed to be a fan friendly festival, but it seems hell-bent on punishing the movie lover, making it a major chore for us to obtain tickets. Perhaps this will open Piers Handling's eyes a little bit and make him realize that things have gone downhill. I think things needs to change if this festival is to continue to be second in the world.

Karen Divorty

TIFF still is a "people's festival" -- as long as all those 'people' have a lot of money. Perhaps Piers would be better informed if he stood in line for 5 1/2 hours picking up and then exchanging tickets, a process exacerbated by empty ticket terminals and utter confusion. Perhaps if he found out that those who donated money had their boxes processed first. Perhaps if he waited in line for more than an hour and saw that donors got in to screenings first. Perhaps if he was treated rudely by volunteers, or continually saw people bud in line at the AMC theatres and watch as the volunteers were either nowhere to be found, or were bullied and just let the line crashers stay.

B. Serafini

From celebrities

"There's a lot of talk about it, because it's kind of reflective of what is happening in Hollywood. The beast took over Hollywood a few years ago."

Actor Tim Robbins

"I felt like a two-dollar whore on fleet night."

Actor Mark Ruffalo, after his Canadian distributor took him to a TIFF party at a high-end store, where he and his Blindness co-stars were shown off as trophies.

"The cat's out of the bag."

Filmmaker Atom Egoyan, who added that getting this message out might have "a ripple effect" that could help the festival he so admires for its quality content and enthusiastic film audiences. "There is something really unique about this festival -- and it's not about branding."

"Is that new? I only came to the festival for the first time two years ago. But I was at this party yesterday and, without knowing it, you're always in front of an advert. So you're constantly advertising things and you don't necessarily know what it is, and you don't feel comfortable doing it. It's kind of pushed upon you."

Actress Rachel Blanchard