Frequently Asked Questions

Here are answers to some frequently asked questions to help you navigate the Festival.

Q.  I am a member and I’m having trouble logging in to receive my discounts.

A.  Please click here for FAQ’s for members.

Q.  I was told that I have free vouchers in my account.  How do I use them?

A.  Make sure you log into your account and then select the films you’d like to see.  When you check out, the price will zero out for as many vouchers as you have.

Q.  Do I have to print my tickets or can I get them scanned from my phone?

A. You can have them scanned from your phone.  Just make sure you have the PDF of your ticket – your confirmation email is not a ticket.

Q.  I am trying to purchase tickets but the website says “Standby Only”.  What does this mean?

A.  Standby Only means that advance tickets are no longer available for that screening.  It is possible that more tickets may become available online so we recommend checking back to see if any new tickets have been released.

If no tickets become available, we encourage you to come to the theater 30 minutes before the scheduled screening and wait in the Standby Line.  Available seats will be released to the Standby Line 5 minutes before show time.  It is very likely you will be able to get a ticket although we can not guarantee it.  PLEASE NOTE: All Standby tickets will be charged at full price and for CASH ONLY to expedite the process. Standby lines are not available at The Wellmont.

Q.  What are your COVID policies?

A.Montclair Film and The Clairidge are dedicated to ensuring the health and safety of our patrons, volunteers, staff, and the entire community. We follow guidelines from the CDC and the State of New Jersey and will continue to update our policies as necessary.

Currently, All patrons are strongly encouraged to wear masks while in the venue except when actively eating or drinking.  Please click here to read all of our COVID policies.

Q. How do shorts work?

A. All short films are programmed in a shorts program with other shorts.  When you purchase a ticket to a specific short, you are purchasing a ticket to that whole shorts program.

Q. Where is your box office located?

A.  Our festival box office is located in the outer lobby of the Clairidge Cinema located at 486 Bloomfield Avenue.  For pre-festival sales, the box office is open Mon-Sat. 12 pm – 5 pm.

Q. Are you selling festival merchandise this year and, if so, where can I buy some?

A.  Yes, we have some great festival merchandise for sale this year at the main box office, located at The Clairidge (486 Bloomfield Avenue).

Q. Will concessions be available for purchase at your venues?

A. Concessions will be available for purchase at The Clairidge.  The Wellmont will have cash bars open but there is no food for sale.  There are no concessions at MKA.

Q. I have been given an EXPRESS PASS, what does that mean?

A.  An Express Pass badge allows you to wait in the badge holder line that will open to the theater ahead of the ticket holder line.  The Express Pass badge does NOT give you free access, you must have a ticket.  Badges are non-transferrable.  If you’d like to know how to get an Express Pass badge, please view our menu of benefits or reach out to us at development@montclairfilm.org.

Q.  I have an ALL ACCESS badge, what does that mean?

A. That means that you are among our most generous supporters and can not only use the Express Pass line but you can see anything you’d like throughout the festival without a ticket.  If you’d like to know how to get an All Access badge, please view our menu of benefits or reach out to us at development@montclairfilm.org.

Q. I’d like to purchase a gift for someone to enjoy the festival or other Montclair Film programming, what do you recommend?

A.  We offer gift memberships as well as general gift cards that can be used towards a membership, tickets, education classes, concessions or merchandise.