Exhibition feedback

"Bang bang!..." A series of intense knocking sounds startled Ace Commoner, forcing him to awaken from his slumber. He groggily opened his eyes and hastily pulled the blanket over his head, hoping to block out the noise and continue his pleasant dream.

However, the knocking outside grew louder and a voice called out, "Ace, Ace! Open the door!"

Ace was annoyed to the core. He forcefully threw off the blanket, walked to the door, and swung it open. "Rooney! I'm going to beat you up!" Rooney Allman, his roommate and close friend, lived with Ace while they pursued their studies together.

Rooney looked up at Ace, who wore a displeased expression. He wasn't afraid at all; instead, he teased, "Believe me, you can't beat me, hahaha!"

Angrily, Ace retorted, "You jerk, what's the matter? Why are you knocking so urgently?" Well, it was true that he couldn't win against Rooney. This guy was the starting quarterback for the school's American football team, and he had a strong build.

"Let's go watch a movie. Yesterday, a friend of mine told me there's a great film."

"There's no need to be in such a rush. What time is it now? It's just past 8 in the morning. Finally, I get a short break, and you can't let me rest a bit longer?"

"It's not like I want to, but that movie hasn't been released in theaters yet. There are only a few showings per day. If we miss it, it's gone."

"Where are we going to watch the movie?"

"The Sundance Film Festival." Rooney's answer left Ace momentarily stunned, but then he realized that the only place showing a movie at this time, which wasn't in theaters yet, could only be the Sundance Film Festival.

"Let's go to Park City then!" Rooney's excited voice rang out again.

"I don't want to go. It's too far."

"Too far? It's just about an hour's drive by car. I asked you to go last year, and you said the same thing." Rooney didn't hold back with his sarcasm. The place they rented was a small town below Salt Lake City, and Park City was their neighboring city. It wouldn't take them more than an hour to drive there, unlike other movie enthusiasts who traveled long distances. But Ace never enjoyed going, whereas Rooney made the trip every year.

Ace chuckled foolishly, "Fine, I'll go with you." Always refusing seemed a bit impolite.

Rooney took out the car keys from his pocket and enthusiastically said, "Let's go, I'll drive."

They set off smoothly, and before long, they arrived in Park City. The two of them went from the official exhibition hall's information desk to a screening schedule and quickly found the movie Rooney's friend had mentioned.

"Found it, "3 Idiots". There's a screening at 9:30 in the morning, in Theater No. 3."

"Then let's go there," Ace spoke and took the lead, walking ahead. The two of them followed the crowd and arrived at Theater No. 3. But as soon as they arrived, they were dumbfounded. Because there were so many people!

Ace stood on tiptoes and looked at the long queue in front of him. He couldn't help but sigh deeply. "Are film festivals always this crowded? Or is this particular theater very popular?" He turned around and saw that there were twenty more people behind him. He couldn't help but complain, "Damn it! We've only been here for five minutes, what the hell is going on? God, is this a test of my patience?"

Although Rooney couldn't figure out the situation either, he knew that this movie must be really good; otherwise, there wouldn't be so many people lining up. Just as Rooney was about to mock Ace, someone interjected into their conversation.

"Recently, there have been a lot of people lining up, especially at Theater No. 3 of the Sundance Film Festival. But don't worry, it'll be our turn eventually." The young man standing in front of Ace suddenly turned around and said calmly.

His calm demeanor gave a good impression, and Eis smiled warmly as he introduced himself, "Hey! Buddy, I'm Ace, and this is my buddy Rooney."

"Oh, nice to meet you both. Let me introduce myself. I'm Carter Roni Fillmore, but you can just call me Carter." The young man continued, "It seems like it's your first time attending the Sundance Film Festival."

Rooney quickly retorted, "No, it's him next to me who's the first-timer. If I hadn't brought him here, he probably would never have experienced the charm of Sundance in his lifetime."

"Hahaha, is that what you say about me? But look, I came, didn't I?" Ace said, feeling annoyed.

The playful banter between the two made Carter chuckle, "Sorry, I usually don't do this unless I can't resist!"

"Ignore him, he always likes to tease others." Ace said with an innocent expression on his face. The three of them chatted, and the conversation gradually shifted towards the movie itself.

Carter brought it up, "This isn't my first day coming here. In fact, since yesterday, the number of viewers for this movie has been increasing. I heard even the midnight screenings are packed. So, I hurriedly came to line up this morning to witness it. But as you can see, this scene alone speaks volumes."

"Phew, indeed," Rooney agreed wholeheartedly.

"What makes this movie so special? Are there heavyweight actors involved?" Ace curiously asked. In his impression, a movie's popularity was often attributed to such factors.

Rooney looked at Ace awkwardly, unsure of how to respond. It was Carter who answered Ace's question, "No, "3 Idiots" doesn't have any famous director or actor. In fact, it's a non-English film. And Sundance never screens mainstream commercial movies. This place is a paradise for independent productions..." Carter hadn't finished speaking when a voice interrupted him, "Next, please."

It turned out that it was his turn in line, and the staff at the counter started reminding him. Carter didn't have time to explain and quickly stepped forward. Eis and Rooney temporarily ended their conversation and hurriedly caught up.

"One ticket for "3 Idiots"!"

"Sorry, the morning and afternoon screenings for this movie are sold out. Would you be interested in the midnight screening?" The staff member said mechanically but still maintained a certain level of politeness.

"WTF!" Ace, standing behind Carter, exclaimed. The staff member explained again, "In fact, two hours ago, right at 8 o'clock when the festival started, a large number of people had already bought all the tickets for the morning and afternoon shows. Even the evening show is sold out now. Only the midnight screening has tickets left. Otherwise, you'll have to come back tomorrow morning and queue up early."

The three of them, who had just been immersed in discussing the movie, suddenly lost their excitement. They hadn't realized that ticket sales would be so fast. Less than half an hour had passed since the tickets for "3 Idiots" went on sale, and even the evening show was sold out. It was still before 10 in the morning, and they would have to wait until midnight. Furthermore, it would be inconvenient.

Even Carter was taken aback by this. He had encountered long queues before, but the tickets had never been in such high demand. This was truly unexpected. But the more unexpected it was, the more interested he became. "One ticket for the midnight show." Carter took a deep breath, and it wasn't until he felt the texture of the movie ticket in his hands, a sense of unreality and illusion, gradually faded.

"So, are the tickets for the film festival always sold out this quickly?" It was now Ace's turn, and his voice sounded puzzled.

"You can say that and you can't say that." Carter hadn't left yet and took the initiative to answer, "At the film festival, the screening venues have limitations. With so many participating films, they have to be rotated. So each film has a limited number of screenings. As a result, if the audience is particularly interested in a certain movie, it often leads to this kind of situation."

At this point, Carter paused, waiting for the two to digest the information before continuing, "Moreover, cases like this are actually quite rare. The venue is quite large, accommodating two to three thousand spectators in three to four screenings per day, which generally meets the demand. But to sell out the tickets for the morning show this quickly... it's very unusual."

Carter's words were self-evident. The audience in Park City flocked to Theater No. 3 for "3 Idiots". At least from the scene, it was evident that after its premiere, the movie had received overwhelming acclaim, igniting the enthusiasm of the Sundance Film Festival.

"Furthermore, I've seen the official program and read reviews in several mainstream newspapers. Many critics have praised this movie highly. Obviously, there are also promotional factors at play here."

"Look here, in the official program, the rating for this movie is 3.6 out of 4, and it is considered the most outstanding work at this year's Sundance Film Festival." The Sundance Film Festival's official rating system uses a scale of 4 points. Generally, if a movie reaches 3 points, it can be considered to have its unique merits and is loved by most judges.

Ace and Rooney looked at the official program that Carter took out, and without any effort, they found information about "3 Idiots." Clearly, it was one of the program's top recommendations. Next to the large black title, the bright red letters "3.6/4" easily caught their attention. On the right side, there was an official statement from the Sundance Film Festival, "Thanks to director Lyman Lattes for bringing us a beautiful symphony."

"This is an extremely special movie. The seamless transitions in the plot juxtapose the comedy in the first half with the tragedy that unfolds later. The realistic portrayal of scenes makes it feel as if you're right there, bringing the pitiful, lamentable, ridiculous, and terrifying issues of the Indian education system faithfully to us."

"...It's not preachy, nor is it simply critical. The deeper meaning requires the audience to contemplate it on their own. This is the director Lyman's gift to everyone!"