Toronto 2012: Festival Tells Paparazzi to RSVP as Part of New Red Carpet Protocol

TORONTO -- The Toronto International Film Festival will this week demand order from the relentless paparazzi bellowing the names of Hollywood stars on the red carpet or at press conference photo calls.

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Ahead of opening night for TIFF's 37th edition this Thursday, fest organizers unveiled a new website where pre-approved photographers are told to RSVP for a presence on the red carpets outside Roy Thomson Hall and other prestigious venues.

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And the paparazzi will be assigned positions from which to snap A-list stars launching their latest movies in Toronto.

To limit red carpet ruckus, stills photographers will need to arrive 20 minutes before stars arrive.

They will then be ushered by "red carpet managers" in numerical order to pre-selected spots like horses loaded into the gate for the race start.

“Arriving earlier will not get you a better spot,” fest organizers, no longer willing to herd the media like cats, said of their new red carpet rules.

TIFF organizers are adamant they want fewer red carpet snafus this year or horse-trading among the media outlets for better positions.

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“If you RSVP for a spot and you don’t attend, you will lose priority for the following night,” the new rules state.

Elusive civility is similarly the goal at press conferences, where stills photographers will follow camera crews in being required to RSVP for photo calls and will not be allowed to line up early for a better position.

What’s more, after photographers are done clicking the stars ahead of press conferences, only pre‐approved wire photographers will remain in the press conference room.

The rest of the photographers will be escorted out of the room.

“We are confident that the new process this year will be more efficient for everyone, and we appreciate your cooperation,” the festival organizers finished off as they outlined their new red carpet protocol.