Cinema Futura

What is Cinema Futura?
The Cinema Futura Project was devised to speak directly with industry, in this case the cinema industry. As part of The Other Film Festival, the Cinema Futura Project focuses on cinema experiences for audiences with a range of access requirements.

The Other Film Festival and Arts Access Victoria have developed an industry engagement strategy that includes audits of cinemas, the preparation of a discussion paper, and an industry forum. The engagement strategy paid off with the 2008 Cinema Futura forum being well-attended by the major cinemas as well as  by the Melbourne International Film Festival. Several main areas were identified to help increase awareness and provide business incentives to achieve better results such as education, marketing, resources, communication, and partnerships.

Cinema Futura at The 2010 Other Film Festival
Cinema Futura 2010 focused on the success of the recent national Action on Cinema Access campaign for improved access for people with sensory disabilities and the resulting commencement of a two-year rollout of closed captioning and audio description technology by Village, Hoyts, Greater Union and Reading Cinemas. An excellent presentation was made by Cathy Clark, one of the campaign organisers, about the progress of this community campaign to date.

It is worth reflecting briefly on the change in the terrain since the previous Cinema Futura forum in 2008. At this stage-managed event, the reluctance of cinema exhibitors to participate was palpable and the conversation largely focused on the lack of conversation taking place and the glacial pace of progress to that time. Since 2008, the Festival and Arts Access Victoria have taken an important role in supporting the community-led Action on Cinema Access Campaign that grew in responses to an application for exemption by the four major cinema chains.