UK Film Council Digital Screen Network

Many leisure industries including TV, video, music, photo, and video games have gone digital, and the cinema industry is going digital too. Thanks to UK film distributors, most popular cinema releases are now available with digital subtitle and audio description 'files'. And thanks to the kickstart by the UK Film Council's 'Digital Screen Network' scheme, most UK cinemas are now equipped with new digital projection equipment.

These digital projection systems have built in subtitle readers. Subtitle 'files' are available for almost all popular cinema releases, which can be 'read' by digital projection systems. Some of these cinemas regularly schedule subtitled shows.

It is hoped that the 'access' features of these digital projectors will be utilised, to enable people with hearing or sight loss to enjoy digital cinema, but there's no guarantee that it will happen. We urge organisations, groups and individuals to create total awareness of this access issue, to ensure it is addressed as soon as possible. Please contact digitally-equipped cinemas in your area and request that they utilise the built in 'access' features of digital projectors!

Note: as with DVD releases, the film - on disc, or hard disk - needs to have a subtitle track included for it to be broadcast - almost all popular releases now have that track.

News items & links:

Guardian newspaper report & report

BBC News report

The Times newspaper report

Hollywood Reporter report

Film Distributors' Assoc. report

D-cinema today report

For further information please contact:
UK Film Council Press Office
Phone: 44 (0)20 7861 7901 / 7508
Email: press@filmcouncil.org.uk