New hassle-free ticketing system for JiFFest
M. Taufiqurrahman, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Long lines of moviegoers lining up for their tickets aren't likely to occur during this year's Jakarta International Film Festival (JIFFest) with the introduction of a new ticketing system.
Under the new "membership" system, moviegoers are expected to register for a membership ticket at any of a number of designated spots before arriving to see the films of their preference.
The new season-ticket system is already common practice at international film festivals.
The system has three membership cards: a gold card costing Rp 100,000 allows one to see ten films, a silver card costing Rp 65,000 gets one five films and a white card at Rp 30,000 gets two films.
To help latecomers who fail to register, JiFFest provides day cards that will be available before film screenings. Prices for the day cards are Rp 20,000 for one film, Rp 35,000 for two films and Rp 50,000 for 3 films.
Cardholders will be granted a free pass to gain entry to film screenings and get a free drink at a U.S. chain coffee joint located in the Skyline Building adjacent to the Djakarta Theater, one of the venues for JIFFest screenings.
Membership registration can be at the three Aksara bookstore outlets in Kemang, Plaza Indonesia and Cilandak Town Square, and at Taman Ismail Marzuki in Cikini from Nov. 24 to Dec. 9.
Registration is also possible during the course of the festival from Dec. 10 to Dec. 18, but only at TIM and the Djakarta Teater building on Jl. M.H. Thamrin.
Priority, however, will be given to moviegoers who have registered as the JIFFest organizers are only allocating 10 percent of the available seats for day cardholders.
The JIFFest organizers said that the new membership system was introduced so that the screenings could be legally classified as non-commercial.
But more than anything else, the organizers said that the system would guarantee movie buffs seats at much lower prices.
The new system is also intended to prevent possible disturbances resulting from a shortage of tickets.
Several years ago, hundreds of local punks broke into screenings of a documentary on British incendiary punk band The Sex Pistols titled The Filth and the Fury.
JIFFest spokesman John Badalu said that the new system was working well as indicated by the large number of people who had registered.
"An average of 50 people register every day and most go for a gold card," he said.
An attendant at the Aksara bookstore in Plaza Indonesia said that as the JIFFest kickoff drew closer, more and more people were seeking membership cards.
"Today, we had one company registering 50 of its employees for gold cards," the attendant told The Jakarta Post.