True festival fans see up to six movies a day. TIME spoke to some of them about their experiences
They use up vacation time, obsess over schedules and plot the shortest walking path between theaters. And for ten days each September, they disappear into the dark for hours at a time, emerging dazed or euphoric, tearful or bored before heading back to do it again. True festival junkies see three, four, even six movies a day, often eschewing the blockbusters-to-be in favor of films that won't make it to DVD, much less mainstream theaters. We asked a few veterans about their tight schedules, the days before advance ticket sales, and the rush they get from a celluloid...