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Access

Cork International Film Festival is committed to ensuring the Festival is accessible and inclusive for all by providing detailed access information for our Festival goers.

Access

As a local festival with global focus, CIFF has celebrated and promoted multiculturalism, diversity, and inclusion for 67 years. We welcome all visitors to screenings and events and are committed to ensuring that the Festival, its venues and activities, are accessible and inclusive. 

  • All venues will have accessible seating, unless otherwise stated
  • All non-English language films will be subtitled
  • A selection of English-language features and shorts will be accessible online with Closed Caption (CC) subtitles and descriptions of non-dialogue audio, for audiences who are D/ deaf or hard of hearing. These films will be tagged as ‘CC’ on corkfilmfest.org.
  • Sensory-friendly screenings for young people and families are included and tagged as (SF) on corkfilmfest.org.

Sensory Friendly Screenings for Young People

As part of the 67th edition of Cork International Film Festival we are introducing Sensory Friendly Screenings for young people to the Festival Programme.

Aimed at audiences aged 5 to 15 y.o. and their families, our activities will be curated for and accessible to young people with autism, sensory sensitivities, or other social, learning or cognitive disabilities for whom participation in events can pose a number of challenges and may, at times, be more a source of stress than enjoyment.

Cinemas and family film screenings can be busy, socially intensive environments, which often we go to out of routine, and these factors can pose barriers to young individuals and families affected by autism enjoying an entertaining film event.

In 2022, CIFF will present Sensory Friendly Screenings for the following Family Friendly Films:

CIFF will introduce modifications to the cinema experience including:

Before the event:

  • We recommend that families book their tickets online in advance to the screening to avoid queueing.
  • Guests can access resource materials to prepare for their visit:
    • We are working in collaboration with Rainbow Club and Gate Cinema on developing Social Stories to assist young people in preparing for the cinema screenings. If you would like us to provide you with the Social Story template, please contact access@corkfilmfest.org
    • Guests can also access a synopsis of the films on each screening’s booking page 

At the venue:

  • Guests can book their tickets online in advance, and download them to their phones. Staff will simply scan the tickets from the guests’ phone in order to reduce queueing
  • CIFF staff trained to be welcoming, inviting and accommodating to families’ needs
  • Clear signage and clearly identifiable CIFF volunteers and additional staff
  • Early and quiet ticket checks to reduce anxiety for people who have difficulty communicating in busy venues
  • Limited crowds and visitors during the day and timing of the screenings
  • The TVs in the entrance of the cinema and music will be turned off before and after the screening
  • The hand-driers in the toilets both downstairs and upstairs will be unplugged before, during and after the screenings

In the cinema:

  • Lower sound level, especially for startling or loud sounds
  • Lights remaining on at a low level in the cinema during the screening
  • Guests are free to talk and leave their seats during the film screening
  • Space throughout the cinema for standing and movement

This activity will form the start of a long-term strategy to enhance and improve the accessibility of CIFF’s cinema offering to young audiences with autism or sensory disorders through its programming and as part of its wider policy of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion.

The Sensory Friendly Screening is sponsored by European Year of Youth supported by Léargas and the European Commission and the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration & Youth, and developed in collaboration with Rainbow Club.

 

 

 

Questions?

If you have any specific access needs or queries, we would be happy to help: email access@corkfilmfest.org or call +353 (0) 21 427 1711