2026 Accessibility Programme
As New Zealand’s premier short film festival, Show Me Shorts Film Festival is proud to provide opportunities for all Kiwis to enjoy short films. New Zealanders with hearing impairment or low vision can enjoy some of our most popular films with the addition of captions (in cinema and On Demand) and audio descriptions (On Demand).
Following high demand for captioned cinema screenings the last few years, this year we are expanding the range of films and locations where these are offered. Captioned cinema screenings of The Sampler and Aotearoa will be available at select cinemas in two cinemas in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Ōpōtiki. Session details and ticketing links are below:
Auckland
Tue 13 Oct, 7:00 pm - Aotearoa (captioned) - The Capitol
Sat 17 Oct, 4:00 pm - The Sampler (captioned) - Beachside Cinemas
Sun 18 Oct, 4:00 pm - Aotearoa (captioned) - Beachside Cinemas
Wellington
Sat 10 Oct, 1:30 pm - The Sampler (captioned) - Light House Cuba
Mon 12 Oct, 4:00 pm - Aotearoa (captioned) - Light House Cuba
Christchurch
Sat 17 Oct, 2:30 pm - The Sampler (captioned) - Alice Cinemas
Thu 22 Oct, 6:00 pm - Aotearoa (captioned) - Alice Cinemas
Ōpōtiki
Tue 20 Oct, 5:30 pm - Aotearoa (captioned) - Ōpōtiki De Luxe Theatre - Link to come
Wed 21 Oct, 1:30 pm - The Sampler (captioned) - Ōpōtiki De Luxe Theatre - Link to come
You can see more information on the films that are screening in our programme pages for The Sampler and Aotearoa.
In order to better communicate with all members of the Show Me Shorts community, the website was been redesigned two years ago with accessibility in mind. The new website was planned alongside accessibility experts, Lauren Hayes Consultants, who have helped make key improvements to enhance the experience for people with low vision or those who rely on screen readers. These updates ensure smoother navigation, better readability, and a more inclusive environment for all users.
The programme brochure booklet was similarly redesigned, taking into account feedback received from the Show Me Shorts community. Key changes include higher contrast text colours, larger fonts and the addition of index pages.
Show Me Shorts Festival Director, Gina Dellabarca says: “My team and I believe short films are for everyone. That is why we are working hard to increase the number of opportunities for everyone to engage with our festival. Accessibility is important to us, and we’re working hard within our tight budgets to take steps in this area.”
Show Me Shorts welcomes feedback from the community on the accessibility programme and their recently upgraded website. Comments can be sent to info@showmeshorts.co.nz.
