The Toronto International Film Festival kicks off on Sept. 8, but if you don't want to miss the best parts of the annual cinematic celebration, veterans say you should start strategizing now.

TIFF can be intimidating, starting with the complicated process people go through just to get tickets to a screening.

"My No. 1 tip is: Be prepared to stand in line," says Dianne Ferguson, 70, who has been attending the festival for more than 15 years.

Festival veterans who are pros at navigating the film schedule and the theatres plan early and get the best deals because they know exactly what they want to see and how to get there.

Here are some of the tricks insiders use to get the most out of the festival.

Making it to the movie theatre

If you want to see more than one or two films, it’s cheaper to buy a ticket package, rather than individual tickets. There are three types: My choice, TIFF choice and the newly introduced Back half packs, where buyers get five tickets for regular screenings from Sept. 13 to 18 at half the cost of regular tickets. Back half packs are already sold out for this year’s festival.

"My choice" bundles are also sold out. If it’s any consolation, buyers of those packages are taking a bit of a gamble — they are not guaranteed the movies they have chosen on their order sheet. Their picks go through a lottery, which could leave them with their second, or last, indicated preference.

"TIFF choice" packages, which were introduced last year, are still available. The festival website says those packages are designed to give people a "customized" experience of the movies. Technically, the selection process is not tailored to buyers' preferences. TIFF staff pick a collection of movies that TIFF is showcasing from across genres to give moviegoers a taste of the festival.

"The TIFF choice deal isn't great, but it's a good entrée to TIFF,” says Ferguson. “It’s a good way of getting your feet wet if it's your first time. You will definitely get the atmosphere. Sometimes that's all what people want."

Another option is to buy individual tickets. That strategy, however, runs the risk of hitting sold-out shows, especially for popular films that have been picked by filmgoers who bought packages. However, TIFFgoers say that the “sold-out” labels mean little. If you are persistent enough, it is almost certain you will get to watch the movie you want by showing up in the rush lines.

"One of the things I look forward to the most is meeting people in rush lines," Ferguson says. "It’s a whole subculture of people who love films."

A few of the friends Ferguson now attends TIFF with are people she met in line in years past.

Longtimer tips

Ferguson says she realizes that TIFF can be overwhelming for some people, and she has a few tips and nuggets for rookies.

First off, find an experienced companion.

"The process can be daunting for someone who's doing it for the first time. Find a movie buddy, someone who is a TIFF member maybe."

As for making movie choices, she recommends being realistic. TIFF is now one of the most powerful film festivals in the world, kicking off the movie awards season with more than 300 films over 11 days. In recent years, it was reported that more than 250,000 people attend annually.

However, don't feel blue if you can't get into that A-list star premiere. Maintaining an open mind might land you a seat at a lesser-known film that proves phenomenal.

"I like to see foreign films, and usually films you wouldn't see [in Toronto]," said Brian Markle, a 30-year TIFF veteran. "Last year we saw a great Chinese film. The Chinese directors are making some amazing films."

Ferguson’s ultimate piece of advice is planning ahead.

“Make sure you make time commitments that you can fulfil. Ask yourself: 'Have I got enough time to commute between theatres?'”

To help with the process, she makes sure she is organized.

“I keep a clipping file of all the movies, a snapshot of them ahead of time so I refer back to it when choosing what I want to see.”

If you are an online person, it is a good idea to bookmark the movie pages and keep them in a folder for quick reference.

Ferguson, who admits that she has made some terrible timing mistakes in the past, also plans her meals in advance.

"I make my lunches a week ahead. I make sandwiches and I freeze them.”

She also plans the kind of food she packs with her.

"If you're watching three movies on the same day, pack almonds. They are filling, healthy and they do not make noise in the theatre. Also make sure you have water, because theatres can be very dry.”

And if you fall in love with TIFF but you're not willing to endure the wait and stress every year, a good way around that is to volunteer for the festival or better still, get a job there. TIFF staff get early access to tickets. Another option is to go to the festival’s website and get on its mailing list. That way, you’ll be ahead of the game.

But most important of all, Ferguson encourages festivalgoers to enjoy the experience.

"It is totally worth it. I look forward to it every year. I actually can't imagine not going."