SCROLL DOWN for a list of current screenings available with captions/subtitles
We have lots of options for you - including some amazing new technology that allows you to borrow a personalised set of Watchword glasses from us - for free! - to allow you to watch most mainstream films with your own private captions being played in your field of vision - any time that suits you! Do come in to the cinema to learn how to use these at a quiet time before you want to watch a film with captions.
AUDIO
We have induction audio headphones as well as individual loops that you can tune your hearing aid into. They are available on loan from the kiosk and can be used for audio, audio description, or both. Most major films include this facility, but regrettably they do not work for live, satellite-streamed events. Please just ask the staff at the cinema kiosk if you would like to use one.
SUBTITLES: There are three types of subtitled films available at the Alhambra.
SUBFL A foreign-language film, with English subtitles only where the spoken language is not in English.
SUBOC (Open Captions OCAP). Captions are displayed on the cinema screen just like when you turn the subtitles on at home on the TV, and may describe quiet sounds that some people may not be able to hear - such as 'footsteps approaching', 'door creaks', 'joyful music plays'. Everybody sees the subtitles.
CCAP (Closed Captions) Captions are displayed on cinema-supplied WatchWord glasses – an amazing new technology we installed in September 2024, thanks to a gift from Chinty Hayes in memory of her father Geoffrey Hayes. Only the person wearing the glasses sees the captions. We only have two sets of glasses, so for now, please call the cinema on 017687 72195 to check if the feature you want to see can be watched using the Watchword smart glasses and to 'reserve' your set of glasses. We strongly recommend visiting the cinema at a quiet time to familiarise yourself with the glasses and the controls - you can personalise the colour, size, brightness and positioning of the subtitles in your field of vision. Most major film releases from big film distributors are available with the requisite closed caption track, but films from smaller companies may not have a CCAP track, so the glasses will not work with them. (Some foreign language films will be available with CCAP tracks so someone hard of hearing will see the English language text on the glasses, with translation of the foreign text on the big screen in open subtitles that all can see.)
You can search for subtitled films at cinemas across the UK on www.yourlocalcinema.com
On our own 'subtitled sceening' page, below (SCROLL DOWN SOME MORE!) you will see open caption and foreign language subtitled films labelled as SUBOC and SUBFL respectively - but if a feature has closed captions (so you CAN use the Watchword glasses, at any screening time) they will not have any visible CCAP label, but WILL appear in the listings below, on this subtitled screening page, and on the listings at YourLocalCinema. (The reason we're keeping the CCAP label invisible is because we don't want to confuse all those people who are not in the know about the difference between OCAP and CCAP and who will get all upset about there being captions on the big screen - when there aren't!)