Accessible cinema: Your Local Cinema .com

Ten cinemas in Northern Ireland are equipped
with subtitle & audio description facilities.

They may well have some, but we have not been informed of any subtitled mainstream (English language) films this week from the following cinemas:

Note: Mamma Mia is also released in a Sing Along version. Only the song lyrics are subtitled (not the whole film). Check local listings for shows.
Many cinemas regularly screen subtitled foreign language films.
Click here for the latest releases, subtitled trailers and info.

Click here to get the latest subtitled cinema info
sent directly to your inbox every Thursday

NOTE!

We receive accessible listings directly from cinema head offices. Unless urgent amendments are required, listings are updated every Thursday. We take great care to ensure the listings are timely and accurate but can take NO RESPONSIBILITY for postponed or cancelled shows. If cinemas inform us of changes, we will tell you via this website. If they don't inform us, we can't inform you.

Many cinemas schedules are "SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTIFICATION". Sometimes the files necessary for a subtitled or described film are not available, or are not delivered to the cinema on time. The only way to be 100% sure is to check with the ACTUAL cinema before you plan a visit. But DOUBLE check, preferably with a manager. We recommend that you should always request confirmation that a show is definitely on.

Please read this:

Subtitled and audio described cinema enables people with less than perfect hearing or vision to enjoy film presented in its original and best form - the cinema.

Cinema subtitles appear at the bottom of the cinema screen. Cinema audio description is similar to listening to a cricket or football match on the radio, having the action described to you. The normal film soundtrack comes through the cinemas surround sound speakers in the usual way, and a recorded narrator explains what's happening on screen - in gaps in the dialogue - through personal headphones.

Northern Ireland Screen (formerly the Northern Ireland Film and Television Commission/NIFTC), introduced their 'Cinema Access Programme' to help fund the installation of subtitle (captioning) and audio description equipment in cinemas across Northern Ireland. It's aim was to enable individuals with hearing or visual impairments to enjoy the cinema experience.

The NIFTC doubled its original budget to £70,000 to meet demand from cinemas.

The Cinema Access programme launched in April 2005. A series of simultaneous events took place in some of the awarded cinemas on April 12th to celebrate the launch of the programme. (NIFTC article HERE). It is hoped that the cinemas involved will screen subtitled and audio described films on a regular basis. These 'accessible' cinemas are listed above. Most (sometimes all) of the top 10 cinema releases at any one time are available with subtitles and audio description, and all accessible shows will be listed on this page as soon as we are notified of them.

In 2006 Odeon/UCI added subtitle/description facilities to their three Dublin cinemas, and Eye Cinema in Galway became accessible.

In 2006 an American company - AVICA - announced plans to convert almost all cinemas in the North and South of Ireland to digital - the plan is to install new digital projectors. (DigitMag article HERE). These systems can display subtitles. Adaptations can be made to include audio description features too.

In January 2007 DTS, the well known cinema sound company, became involved and have plans to develop further digital cinema in Ireland. Read the press release on the DTS website.

According to Digital Cinema Ltd, who run the project, Phase 1 is now complete, with 26 digital projectors installed. Phase 2 - the conversion of the rest of over 500 screens - has started (May 07). Watch this space for updates.

Or watch the Avica website for news of developments.

More info on the Digital Cinema Ireland website.

NOTE:

There's no guarantee that cinemas with new digital projection equipment will actually utilise the built-in 'access' features. No digital cinema has yet made plans to ensure that people nationwide with hearing or visual impairments will be able to enjoy the cinema experience.

We recommend that deaf organisations / groups / individuals in Ireland join together to create total awareness of this 'access' issue, to ensure it is addressed as soon as possible.