Nakakuha na ba ng Cinemalaya 19 Films in Competition (FIC) Pass ang lahat? Kung hindi pa, here are some tips!
Don’t.
HAHAHAHAHAHAH! Huwag na kayo kumuha, LOL. Chos. Lemme run down the pros and cons based on my experience today. Maniwala kayo sa akin. Bukod sa ako na ‘to, malapit na ako mag distribute ng tickets kanina. Punta na ako sa likod ng table to administer tickets.
So here’s the thing. Unlike past Cinemalaya approaches where you just get your FIC pass printed, and you can just line up in the priority lane on your chosen screening time, things have changed for this year since they transferred the venue to PICC. The CCP building is under renovation. This was announced last year, the renovation, as far as I could remember. Based on the explanation earlier, strict daw ang PICC pagdating sa seating capacity hence the seat numbers for your FIC passes. Which is good. Doubleplus good, ultra good! Who doesn’t want designated seat numbers where you can also choose where you want to be seated because you are a priority? However, there’s a catch.
I waited for four hours to get 11 of my tickets today at Tanghalang Ignacio Gimenez (CCP Blackbox Theatre). I am missing one ticket.
Context muna tayo para sa lahat.
All FIC pass holders will need to get their 12 festival tickets aside from getting the FIC pass or the ID. Reason was ‘yung sinabi ko na kaninang PICC requires seat numbers and number of people inside the meeting rooms or cinemas. So hindi siya kagaya ng mga past year na you tap your RFID upon entering then randomly sit on a chair once you’re inside the theatre.
Given the bullet above, for August 1 to 4, the tickets you can exchange for your FIC pass are only films that will be screened in Cinema Rizal. So ‘yung ibang venue/cinema/room, wala pa. You may get them starting August 5, on the first day of the films in competition. Cinemalaya will have a booth in PICC where all tickets are printed already and available no matter what date and cinema they would be.
Bakit four hours ang ganap namin kanina?
Because everything was manual. Again, naka print ‘yung tickets na kailangan mong kunin for your seat number. But it’s up to you kung kukunin mo na ‘yung 12 tickets mo or you just want to get the FIC pass or the ID. You can get your 12 tickets starting August 5 sa PICC na mismo.
Some of the tickets for Cinema Rizal were not yet pooled or printed. Gala ‘yung available sa table. Past 3 pm na naprint ‘yung remaining Cinema Rizal screenings for the whole festival. So tinawag kami ulit to get the remaining ones. As for me, I had to reshuffle my schedule again para makuha ko na halos lahat. Sa seven options na ginawa ko over the weekend, ending, nag iba rin ako on the spot. I still have one ticket left, which is my first film for August 5, that I have to get in PICC already. Sabi naman kanina, mabilis na raw ‘yon, regardless of the seat number. Kasi nandoon na raw ‘yung mga naiwang ticket. (Edit: So kung hindi naman Cinema Rizal screening mo, then you don't need to wait sa Gimenez. Balik ka na lang sa PICC sa start ng Festival to get the tickets from other venues. Medj hassle lang kababalik but kunin mo na lang on your date of screening. Try to be early na lang para sure.)
So paano mapadadali ang buhay mo at buhay ng mga Cinemalaya Staff (understaffed sila kanina but still, they kept their cool. They still patiently helped each patron to get their tickets with their chosen seats)?
Send your 1x1 picture to salesandpromotions@culturalcenter.gov.ph. Yes, ‘yung email address na sabi nilang pag email-an mo ng FIC pass form. Pero may catch din ito. Even if you sent your form via email, wala kang different na pila. You need to fall in line sa mga walk-in clients. I know, weird. Ako na nagrereklamo para sa ‘yo. Twice ako nag send ng email pero wala akong natanggap na confirmation so nag walk in na talaga ako, inexpect ko na ‘to, eh. (Update: I checked my email before posting this. Nakatanggap ako at 6:12 pm today. Pero ganon din. Payment mo is on-site pa rin like what I did today.) I’m already showing you what to expect para ‘di ka na GG like me earlier.
Bring your own pen. Pagsasagutin ka pa rin nila sa printed form nila. May dahilan ito bakit.
Have a copy already of your chosen schedules, lalo na ‘yung mga Cinema Rizal screening. See sched here. (However, I wouldn’t hope much for good seats like center or aisle given na kanina, limited na ‘yung choices namin sa mga Gala screening for the first two days.) This will help hasten things. Sasabihin mo na lang sa staff anong date, anong film, anong seat number gusto mo. Also, better write your chosen films and their schedules on paper or at the back of the form they will ask you to accomplish on-site. Kapag nabigay na ‘yung ticket na available, pipirmahan mo ‘yung listahan mo. If wala pa ‘yung ibang ticket (example ‘yung akin na hindi Cinema Rizal), wala siyang pirma and that means those tickets are to be redeemed. This form or your list where you signed the tickets will be kept by the staff para proof of which tickets were already redeemed or not yet redeemed. Take a pic of it na rin if you want so you have your own copy.
May mga papel sa table where you can see the look of the seats. Pili ka na ron agad. Have a row in mind and a number. ‘Yung una kong tickets, I just said, Any seats will do. But better if I could have seats from the center group from row M and up. Kapag wala, bahala ka na po. Nga pala. Sabi nung isang lead, flat daw ‘yung floor ng Cinema Rizal. Not sure sa other cinemas but naisip ko na ‘to since meeting rooms ‘yung tagging sa post. Good luck sa ating mga 5’2” and below!
Kung hindi ka naman pihikan sa seat, basta makanood ka, kunin mo na lang ano man ang nasa dulo ng ticket na hawak na ng staff. Ito na ginawa ko sa pagbalik ko to get the remaining tickets for Cinema Rizal and also because may naiwan pala kaming ticket sa una kong redemption at napagtanto kong pwede ako mag reshuffle. Wow, ang bilis ng utak ko mag tic-tac-toe shiz that time. Dapat makukuha ko na rin ‘yung isa pero mas gusto ko matulog ng Sunday.
Better bring cash and exact amount. May credit card payment naman sila pero if you want less hassle like what if nag error ‘yung pag capture ng payment tapos mag worry ka pa sa pag hold ng bangko or madouble ang transaction? So cash is the key. PHP2,880.00 exact amount, ah? Medyo nahirapan sila mag sukli kanina.
Kumain bago umalis. Huwag niyo ko gayahin. 18+ hours ata akong running, waiting, checking emails, checking drafts, without a single meal. Hindi ko rin maalala kung uminom ba ako water bago ako umalis ng bahay ni Aling Gina. Akala ko kasi mabilis lang, eh! Plano ko talagang after makuha, kakain, uuwi na.
So ayan ang aking ambag. Have I known na ganito mae-experience ko kanina, I would’ve really just opted to watch in malls. Maski mas mahal siya: PHP3,600.00 kung PHP300.00 din bentahan sa mall, and if mag o-online reservation ka, may convenience fee per ticket na PHP20.00 and up depende sa sinehan. Kasi I also no longer care about keeping the memento of my FIC Pass or ID. Ang dami mo ng souvenir sa pa FIC Pass this year. May single tickets ka na, may ID ka pa. But nandoon na ako, eh! Sayang biyahe ko sa ulang ‘to?!
So pili ka na lang. Lower cost per film, but you need to wait this long and experience the redundancy of things, which is hopefully better na the starting tomorrow since opening day kasi today, or, go for convenience. But as always, convenience has a price.
Anyway, you can also buy single festival tickets sa Tanghalang Ignacio Gimenez. But again, only those available are tickets screening in Cinema Rizal from August 1 to August 4.
I must admit sobrang GG ko na kanina. As in no amount of PUP pila trained me for that impatience. Not an excuse na wala akong kain why I acted that way. I am paying for the tickets, so I expect my money’s worth. Besides, CCP is government-owned. Tumatakbo na naman sa isip ko na sayang buwis ko, bakit ganito Pilipinas? And mostly because I traveled all the way from Marikina, umuulan, tapos I might face another hurdle to get all my tickets if I wasn’t able to get everything today? That’s unfair given na nalalabuan ako sa online announcement nila not saying na maski FIC pass holders, Cinema Rizal tickets lang makukuha from today till August 4. FIC pass holders are given priority so my thinking was, prioritized maski anong screening kukunin namin. I might have misunderstood everything, though, sure.
The only time my anger softened was when I noticed some of the staff hadn’t eaten yet, especially ‘yung isang lead nila na nagdi-distribute ng ticket. Past 3 pm na siya naka kain while all other staff sa table were already eating before her (hours ago). (Dyahe, pare-pareho tayong biktima ng sistema.)
Also when the person prior to me (sa pagbalik ko) said after she got all her tickets for two passes she purchased, “Thank you for your patience! Patient din kami kasi mahal namin ang Cinemalaya.” I was taken aback, slightly lang, kasi parang hindi enough ang pagmamahal ko sa Cinemalaya kanina. What really struck me were the team leaders sa staff. Lalo nung kinausap nila ‘yung dalawang patron na nagka problema sa online payment. Mahinahon at hindi nag panic. Naka smile pa. The other team leaders, those who were distributing, nasabi ko na kanina, sobrang patient and they were working together with the customers to get the seats they wanted.
Ayan. Happy watching na lang sa lahat! Sana nakatulong!
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