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April 18-21, 2024

FESTIVAL 101

Whether you’ve joined us in past years or if this is your first time, the following information will help you make the most of your 2024 Festival experience.

The free TCM Classic Film Festival app (available on iOS and Android devices) is your one-stop companion to everything going on at this year’s Festival. Our 2024 app allows you to see complete film descriptions and special guest bios, create your own custom schedule with alerts, get late-breaking news and announcements, network with other Festival attendees, see the Festival map, and much more!

  • Click here to download from Google Play (Android). 
  • Click here to download from the App Store (iOS).

Please note: You can download and print the schedule grid here. A printed schedule grid and venue map will be available while supplies last.

Festival Will Call opens at 1:00pm on Wednesday, April 17, at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel. Official Festival events begin on Thursday, April 18, and continue through the evening of Sunday, April 21. For those traveling in, we recommend departing on or after Monday, April 22.

For Spotlight, Essential and Classic passholders: Festival programming will officially kick off at 1:00pm on Thursday, April 18, with So You Want To Put on a Classic Film Festival, a panel discussion at Club TCM located in the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel. There will also be a passholder Welcome Reception from 5:00pm to 7:00pm at Club TCM at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel.

Palace passholders, whose eligible screenings will begin at 9:00am on Friday, April 19,  are also welcome to purchase individual tickets for evening screenings (excluding the Opening Night Red Carpet Gala screening, Poolside screening, and Club TCM events) on Thursday, April 18, if they are available.

Classic and Palace passholders are welcome to watch the Opening Night Red Carpet arrivals in a special spectator bleacher section reserved exclusively for passholders. The queue for these spectator sections will open at the corner of N. Orange and Hollywood Blvd. by Madame Tussaud’s at 3:45pm and seating will begin at 4:15pm. Please note that seating is limited.

The last official Festival events for all passholders will occur the evening of Sunday, April 21. The complete Festival schedule is available by clicking here.

Be sure to download the free 2024 TCM Classic Film Festival app to your mobile device for up-to-the-minute schedule changes, late-breaking talent additions, programming announcements, and TBA screenings.

  • Click here to download from Google Play (Android).  
  • Click here to download from the App Store (iOS).

Any up-to-the-minute schedule changes or announcements of additional programs, such as TBA screenings, will also be communicated through the Festival website, at the Information Desk in the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, and at individual venue box offices.

INFORMATION DESK HOURS

  • Wednesday, 4/17, 1:00pm – 5:00pm
  • Thursday, 4/18, 10:00am – 8:00pm
  • Friday, 4/19, 8:00am – 6:00pm
  • Saturday, 4/20, 8:00am – 6:00pm
  • Sunday, 4/21, 8:00am – 6:00pm

You can also ask questions of the many friendly Festival staffers wearing “STAFF” T-shirts. Don’t be shy, as we’re here to help make the 2024 TCM Classic Film Festival the ultimate film lover’s experience.

Throughout the Festival, you can follow @TCM on X (Twitter) and check the #TCMFF hashtag for Festival-related announcements and updates. Be sure to use the hashtag #TCMFF on your own posts so we and your fellow fans and passholders can share in your experiences.

You can also follow TCM on Facebook, Instagram, and  TikTok. Subscribe to our YouTube channel for exclusive videos throughout the weekend.

WILL CALL HOURS

  • Wednesday, 4/17, 1:00pm – 5:00pm
  • Thursday, 4/18, 11:00am – 8:00pm
  • Friday, 4/19, 8:00am – 6:00pm*
  • Saturday, 4/20, 8:00am – 6:00pm*
  • Sunday, 4/21, 8:00am – 6:00pm*

Will Call for the 2024 Festival will be located in the main lobby of the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel. Festival passes and gift bags (for Spotlight and Essential passholders) will be available for pickup at Will Call from Wednesday, April 17, to Thursday, April 18 in the lobby.  

*Passholders who arrive after 8:00pm Thursday, April 18, may pick up their passes starting on Friday, April 19 at the Festival Information Desk located off the main lobby of the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel during the hours below.

INFORMATION DESK HOURS

  • Friday, 4/19, 8:00am – 6:00pm
  • Saturday, 4/20, 8:00am – 6:00pm
  • Sunday, 4/21, 8:00am – 6:00pm

To expedite pass pickup for all passholders, we ask you to come prepared. A government-issued photo I.D. is required for all Will Call pickups, and please have your confirmation email/confirmation number on hand.

  • If you cannot find your confirmation email, please check your spam/junk folder or contact the Box Office Filmfestival@tcm.com.
  • Only the pass purchaser or their official designee line up in the pick-up queues. If the pass purchaser wishes to designate another passholder to pick up their pass order, they must notify the Festival Box Office via email at Filmfestival@tcm.com before their passes are released. Passes will be held under the last name of the purchaser unless an alternate has been designated in writing.
  • Only one gift bag (for Spotlight or Essential passholders) per pass will be issued per passholder.

When you arrive at a screening venue you should get a Queue Card for your desired screening/event. All screening venues utilize a system of paper Queue Cards to ensure fairness and uphold the first-come, first-served waiting line policy of the Festival. Queue Cards are distributed at each venue to better control entry and determine as quickly as possible when a show is expected to sell out. As a general rule, Festival staff begin distributing queue numbers one hour prior to showtime, and no earlier.

Once you have your Queue Card, look for signs directing you to the appropriate queue line, based on your pass level. Please refer to the back of your pass for information on what access your pass does and does not provide. Spotlight passholders receive priority entry, followed by all other levels of passholders. Lastly, individual ticket holders may be admitted to certain screenings if space allows.

Only one Queue Card will be issued per person present per event and the saving of places in line is prohibited. Once you get your Queue Card, your place in the entry order is secure.

However, you must be present when your Queue Card number is called or you will forfeit your place in line. Please confirm with the Festival staff when you should be back in line. Please remember that Queue Cards are not tickets and do not guarantee entry.

TCM recommends all passholders arrive at a venue a minimum of 30 minutes before the start of their desired show. For films that may be particularly popular, or for those at smaller venues such as the TCL Chinese 6 Theatres Multiplex, you may want to arrive earlier. Queue Cards are not utilized for Club TCM events. Seating in Club TCM is first-come, first-served.

Watch the video below about how the Queue Cards and Seating process works (excluding the Opening Night Red Carpet presentation of PULP FICTION (1994) and poolside screenings).


SEATING

Because it is possible that the number of passholders who want to attend a particular screening or event could exceed the number of seats available at any one venue, we cannot guarantee passholders a seat at every event. The only exception to this seating policy is the Opening Night screening of PULP FICTION (1994) at the TCL Chinese Theatre IMAX, which guarantees seating for Spotlight and Essential passholders.

Passholders who arrive at a venue at least 30 minutes prior to showtime stand an excellent chance of attending most of their desired events, particularly at larger venues like the TCL Chinese Theatre IMAX and the Egyptian Theatre. Those who arrive at a venue fewer than 30 minutes before showtime may have more difficulty gaining entry, depending on seating capacity and pass level. If there is a specific program you consider a must-see—particularly at a smaller-capacity venue—you may want to arrive earlier.

Please note, we will be offering repeat screenings of select films on Sunday, April 21, with times listed as “TBA” in the programming schedule. Check the Festival app for TBA screening announcements during the Festival.

SITTING-THROUGH POLICY

Festival attendees may not “sit through” consecutive shows. At the end of each event, attendees must clear the venue and re-enter with any queued audiences before the start of the next event.

LATE ENTRY

As a courtesy to all Festivalgoers and special guests, TCM strongly discourages late seating for screenings. The seating of passholders after an event has begun will be at the discretion of the venue manager.

Passholder entry to the Opening Night Red Carpet is located at the corner of Hollywood Blvd. and N. Orange Dr., near Madame Tussaud’s. Spotlight and Essential passholders must have their pass to gain entry to the Red Carpet and screening.

The Red Carpet opens at 4:45pm, with the program beginning at 6:30pm. We ask that all attendees be seated by 6:15pm.

Spotlight and Essential passholders attending the official Opening Night Red Carpet screening who will be coming from the official Welcome Reception at the Hollywood Roosevelt should exit the hotel on Hollywood Boulevard, cross the street, and enter the Red Carpet near the Northeast corner of Hollywood Boulevard and N. Orange Avenue (near Madame Tussauds).

Spotlight and Essential passholders coming from the Ovation Hollywood (formerly known as the Hollywood & Highland Center) parking deck should proceed to the second level of the complex and walk west past Dolby Theatre entrance. Continue along the breezeway past the bus tour staging area, turn left on N. Orange Dr., and turn left again at Hollywood Boulevard. The entrance to the Red Carpet is on Hollywood Boulevard. near Madame Tussaud’s.

For those attending the Opening Night Red Carpet Gala premiere of PULP FICTION (1994) and/or the Opening Night Gala Party, we strongly recommend cocktail attire, typically a suit or cocktail dress.

Classic and Palace passholders are welcome to watch the Opening Night Red Carpet arrivals in a special spectator bleacher section reserved exclusively for passholders. The queue for these spectator sections will open at the corner of N. Orange and Hollywood Blvd. by Madame Tussaud’s at 3:45pm and seating will begin at 4:15pm. Please note that seating is limited.

Individual tickets to select screenings may be offered to standby attendees after all passholders have been seated. These open seats will be sold on a first-come, first-served basis, just prior to the individual program start time at the respective venue box office. All individual ticket purchases are cash-only.

For most events, individual tickets are $20 for general audiences or $10 with a valid student I.D.  Individual tickets for the official closing night presentation of SPACEBALLS (1987) are $30 for general audiences or $15 with valid student I.D.  Please note that all individual ticket sales are cash-only.

No individual tickets will be offered for the Opening Night screening of PULP FICTION (1994), Poolside screenings, or Club TCM events.

As the number of individual screening tickets available is dependent on the number of passholders that attend a particular screening, individual screening tickets cannot be purchased in advance.

Several screenings, marked as TBA on the Festival schedule, will be announced after the Festival begins. Updated information on these screenings can be found on the Festival app, the Festival website, and at the Information Desk in the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel.

Club TCM access is available to Spotlight, VIP, Essential, Classic, and Media passholders throughout the Festival. The schedule for Club TCM events can be found on the Festival app, the Festival website (TCM.com/festival), and at the Information Desk. Note: no individual tickets are available for Club TCM events.

Club TCM will be open from noon – 6:00pm PT from Thursday, April 18 – Sunday, April 21, and will be open for the passholder Welcome Reception (5:00pm – 7:00pm) and Closing Night Party (9:00pm – 12:00am).

Throughout the Festival, several authors will be signing copies of their latest books from the TCM Library. The latest schedule for these signings can be found on the Festival app and at the Information Desk. Books may be purchased onsite through representatives from Larry Edmunds Bookshop. For particularly popular authors, book purchase and/or signing is not guaranteed.

An official Opening Reception and Closing Night Party will be held at Club TCM at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel. Entry is available to Spotlight, VIP, Essential, Classic, and Media passholders. Times for these events can be found on the Festival app, the Festival website (TCM.com/festival), and at the Information Desk.

To assist with planning your Festival schedule, here is information on the seating capacity for each venue:

  • TCL Chinese Theatre IMAX:  916 seats
  • TCL Chinese 6 Theatres Multiplex, House #1: 350 seats
  • TCL Chinese 6 Theatres Multiplex, House #4: 148 seats
  • TCL Chinese 6 Theatres Multiplex, House #6: 239 seats
  • El Capitan Theatre: 998
  • The Egyptian Theatre: 520

More information on the 2024 Festival venues may be found here.

Information about Festival venues, including venue addresses, can be found by clicking here.

PARKING

Those attending Festival screenings at the TCL Chinese Theatre IMAX or the TCL Chinese 6 Theatres Multiplex may park at Ovation Hollywood Shopping Center (formerly known as Hollywood and Highland Center) parking deck, accessible from N. Highland Ave. in front of the Loews Hollywood Hotel or on Orange Dr. between Hollywood Blvd. and Franklin Ave.

Ovation Hollywood Parking Address: 1755 N Highland Ave, Hollywood, CA 90028

Parking Rates:
$2.00 every 20 minutes; $6.00 every hour
Daily Maximum of $20.00

Enjoy up to 2 hours for $3 with validation by participating shops and restaurants
Enjoy up to 4 hours for $3 with validation from the TCL Chinese Theatre and the TCL Chinese 6 Theatres.  Regular parking rate applies thereafter.

Valet Daily Maximum of $30.00

FROM THE AIRPORT

If you don’t plan on renting a car from the airport, we recommend you take a cab, shuttle, or private car service.

Many of these shuttle services accept, but often don’t require reservations. We recommend contacting your hotel to see if they have their own shuttle or, if not, which shuttle service they recommend.

Private car services are also available but could cost more than the other options. If you’d like to hire a private car service, we recommend you contact your hotel to see which service they recommend.

Ride-share services, such as Lyft and Uber, are also widely used in the Los Angeles area. Rates for Lyft and Uber vary greatly by location, the time of day, and the level of service you pick.

TAKING THE METRO

The Los Angeles Metro Red Line Hollywood/Highland station is conveniently located on Hollywood Blvd at N. Highland Ave., near the TCL Chinese Theatre IMAX and TCL Chinese 6 Theatres Multiplex.

Warner Bros. Discovery takes the safety and security of our guests seriously. TCM security team members may occasionally, throughout the Festival, conduct bag checks at selected venues and events. This measure is taken as part of the precautions necessary to keep our events safe. Your cooperation is greatly appreciated.

We encourage Festivalgoers to maintain a sense of their surroundings. Like in any major city, we strongly encourage passholders to travel with a companion when traveling between venues, particularly when walking at night.

Past Festival attendees will also be familiar with the colorful characters, many of them in costume, that populate this famous stretch of Hollywood Blvd. Please note that while it is prohibited by law for these characters to solicit tips, it is customary to tip these individuals if you take photos with them or of them.

Should an emergency arise at a Festival venue that necessitates medical assistance, please be aware that the operations team is ready and able to assist with getting a medic or ambulance for immediate assistance.

EARTHQUAKE SAFETY

As many Festival guests may be unfamiliar with how to react during an earthquake, we want to share a few tips regarding safety. In the unlikely event of an earthquake, please follow these guidelines:

  • If you are inside a building, stay inside. Do not rush for the doorways or leave the building. If you are outside, stay outside and move away from buildings.
  • Drop-Cover-Hold On. To reduce the chance of injury, cover your neck and head, and stay low to the ground, to avoid falling.
  • Listen for instructions and guidance from the theatre operations team and security team in each venue. They are familiar with the exit routes for each venue.

There are currently no plans to implement mandatory COVID-19 related health and safety protocols at the 2024 TCM Classic Film Festival. However, the health and safety of Festival attendees remains our number one priority and the Festival will continue to monitor the pandemic situation. Attendees will be subject to all applicable federal, state, and local safety precautions in place at the time of the event. In addition, TCM may, at its sole discretion, implement additional mandatory safety precautions to be determined.

It is our goal to ensure all attendees have a safe and enjoyable experience at the TCM Classic Film Festival. The TCL Chinese Theatre IMAX, TCL Chinese 6 Theatres Multiplex, The Egyptian Theatre, and other Festival venues, including the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, are wheelchair-accessible and ADA-compliant venues.

If you have special seating needs, please notify the venue manager immediately after getting your Queue Card for that event. If the number of guests with wheelchairs or other seating needs exceeds the designated accessible spaces, venue managers will address these instances on a case-by-case basis.

ADA SERVICE ANIMAL GUIDELINES

Service Animals, as that term is defined by the Americans With Disabilities Act and California Unruh Act, may accompany owners who have been admitted into any Festival area. “Service Animal” means, in part, any dog or miniature horse that is required because of a person’s disability and is specially trained to perform tasks related to the person’s disability.

The Festival does not guarantee entry to any event for animals that do not meet these specific Service Animal guidelines. Owners must keep their animals under control at all times and shall be responsible for any damage their animals may cause. The Festival also reserves the right to ask that a service animal leave the facility should the animal become a distraction, nuisance, or threat to other patrons or to operations.

Additionally, attendees should note that individual venues, places of lodging, and other businesses in the Festival footprint may have their own restrictions and that admittance to these establishments for animals that do not meet ADA Service Animal guidelines is outside the control of the Festival management.

For most events, attendees should dress comfortably and prepare for temperature changes when moving from inside to outside of Festival venues. While Los Angeles has a generally warm, sunny climate, it can get cool in the evening. We recommend you bring a light jacket or windbreaker just in case.

There are a couple of exceptions to this general dress recommendation:

OPENING NIGHT RED CARPET

For those attending the Opening Night Red Carpet Gala premiere of PULP FICTION (1994) and/or the Opening Night Gala Party, we strongly recommend cocktail attire, typically a suit or cocktail dress.

POOLSIDE SCREENINGS

For our Poolside screenings, we encourage guests to dress to the theme of each screening, but it is not required. Also, guests may want to bring a jacket, sweater, or wrap as evenings in Hollywood can occasionally be cooler than anticipated.

A list of special guests appearing at screenings and Festival events, such as panel discussions in Club TCM, can be found here. This list is subject to change, so be sure to check the Festival app for late-breaking updates.

ETIQUETTE

We understand the desire to ask a favorite celebrity for an autograph or picture. However, here are a few things to keep in mind before approaching special guests at the Festival:

  • Given the full event schedule at the Festival, we request that you not approach the stage before or after an interview.
  • There will be signs posted throughout the Festival clearly stating the photography rules of venues and events. If you have any questions about taking photos, simply ask a Festival staff member.
  • Some special guests may have scheduled book signing sessions. Be sure to check the Festival app or website or stop by the Information Desk at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel for the schedule.
  • Celebrities are people too! They need to eat, talk on the phone, get from point A to point B quickly, and watch films just like we do. A good rule of thumb is not to approach our special guests while they are occupied or do anything you might find intrusive yourself.

Be sure to stop by the TCM Boutique for exclusive Festival t-shirts, hats, bags, books, and much more! You’ll find the TCM Boutique conveniently located in the lobby of the TCL Chinese 6 Multiplex.

  • Wednesday, 4/17, 12:00pm – 8:00pm
  • Thursday, 4/18, 12:00pm – 9:00pm
  • Friday, 4/19, 9:00am – 9:00pm
  • Saturday, 4/20, 9:00am – 9:00pm
  • Sunday, 4/21, 9:00am – 8:00pm

TCM has partnered with several companies to provide discounted rates for Festival passholders. For complete details on how to take advantage of these discounted opportunities, click here.

There are dozens of eating establishments within and near the Festival footprint ranging from fast food to fine dining.

Many excellent restaurants are located in the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel and during the Festival, they are offering 10% off any food order (excludes alcohol, tax, and service charge) for passholders dining at 25 Degrees, Rosy Café, The Spare Room, Tropicana Pool, Tropicana Bar, Lobby Lounge and Bar, hotel room service, and Shirley Brasserie. Festival badges must be presented when ordering. Open to all passholders, including those not lodging at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel. All restaurants and bars on the property add an additional 18% gratuity. Room service adds 20%.

The following restaurants located inside Ovation Hollywood Shopping Center, home of the TCL Chinese 6 Theatres Multiplex, are also offering passholder discounts.

  • Paper 8
    • 15% discount to all passholders

There are also national drugstores and a department store within the Festival footprint.

We regret that children under the age of 5 may not attend any Festival event. Additionally, several Festival events and areas have specific age restrictions.

  • All Club TCM events are restricted to individuals aged 13 and up.
  • The Opening Night Gala Party is restricted to Spotlight passholders age 21 and up.

If you have lost or misplaced any items at official Festival venues, please first check with that location’s customer service desk for their own lost and found. If you were at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, check with the Festival Information Desk in the lobby to see if anything has been turned in. After hours, please check with the hotel’s check-in desk by the valet on the lower level.

INFORMATION DESK HOURS

  • Wednesday, 4/17, 1:00pm – 5:00pm
  • Thursday, 4/18, 10:00am – 8:00pm
  • Friday, 4/19, 8:00am – 6:00pm
  • Saturday, 4/20, 8:00am – 6:00pm
  • Sunday, 4/21, 8:00am – 6:00pm

Please note the Box Office hours will change the week of the Festival. The Box Office hours will be 10:00am – 5:00pm PT from Monday, April 15 through Sunday, April 21. The most direct way to contact the box office is via email filmfestival@tcm.com or telephone at (877) 826-5764.