Sydney Film Festival welcomes all visitors to screenings and events and is proud to partner with Accessible Arts NSW.

For all access and inclusion bookings or enquiries, and to notify us of your needs so we can make your visit as enjoyable as possible, please call us on 1300 733 733 or email tickets@sff.org.au.

For more access information for Sydney Film Festival venues, please see our Venues page.

Companion Card

Sydney Film Festival proudly accepts Companion Cards to all sessions. For guests who require assistance of a companion or carer, a second ticket is issued at no cost to the Companion Card holder.

Companion Card tickets can be booked on our website by selecting your ticket and entering the code COMPANION23 in the ticketing block. This unlocks a Companion Card ticket for you to add to cart. If you are booking a session with allocated seating, check your seats are together at checkout before proceeding with payment.

Vision

Audio Description

Audio describers give verbal descriptions of all the visual elements of what is happening on the screen. This is done during natural pauses and gaps in the dialogue via a small earpiece, provided to audience members before the show. You can book this service in advance by emailing us at tickets@sff.org.au and pick up the FM headset on arrival.

AD is not available with every film and there is limited availability for each session. Check the program for AD before booking and refer to Venue Specific Access Information below for further information.

Assistance Animals

Assistance animals are welcome at all festival events and venues. Bookings are essential so the venue can be advised, call 1300 733 733 or email tickets@sff.org.au.

Hearing

Assistive Listening

Most venues have an induction hearing loop system, infrared transmitters or FM radio system available. See venue specific information for more details.

Auslan Interpreted Q&As and Introductions

Auslan interpreting is for audiences who use Australian Sign Language (Auslan). Details of screenings that include Auslan will be included in the Program Guide.

Open Captions

Open Captions display all dialogue and describes sounds as text on screen.

Closed Captions

Closed Captions display all dialogue and describes sounds as text on a personal device with a high contrast display and privacy screen. Devices are available for loan from the cinema. Please contact our box office on 1300 733 733 or at tickets@sff.org.au to book a Closed Captioning device.

Subtitled Screenings

All nin-English language in films is subtitled in English. This does not include full open captions.

Other access

Wheelchair Spaces

Sydney Film Festival’s venues are all wheelchair accessible and have a limited number of wheelchair spaces.

For sessions with allocated seating, you can book a wheelchair space online by opening the ‘Choose Seats’ option, selecting a blue circle and following the instructions provided.

For sessions with general admission, please contact our box office on 1300 733 733 or tickets@sff.org.au to request a wheelchair space.

Some sessions that are marked Sold Out on the SFF website may still have wheelchair spaces available. Please email tickets@sff.org.au or call our Box Office on 1300 733 733 to ask if wheelchair spaces are available.

Please see our Venues page for more information on the venue you are attending.

Assistance at the Venue

If you require assistance or simply have questions about accessibility, our friendly accessibility volunteers will be happy to help. They’ll be at each cinema wearing purple or yellow vests.

Download the 2023 Access and Inclusion Guide in PDF or Word Document.

Disability Inclusion and Action Plan

Read our Disability Inclusion Action Plan in PDF or Word document.

Sydney Film Festival holds bi-annual reviews to track progress of accessibility and inclusion improvements as outlined in the DIAP. Read our latest progress report in PDF or Word document.