Film festival aims to provide accessibility for all

The UK's largest rural film festival takes in venues across Shropshire and Hereford and Worcester.

They include the Courtyard Hereford, Malvern Theatres, Ludlow Assembly Rooms, Kinokulture Community Cinema in Oswestry, Bromyard’s Conquest Theatre, Presteigne Screen, Booth’s Bookshop Cinema in Hay and village halls and community centres across the Flicks in the Sticks network.

Accessibility is to the fore this year the captioned screenings for nine titles: All the Beauty and the Bloodshed, Aftersun, What’s Love Got to Do With it?, The Whale, The Banshees of Inisherin , Blue Jean, The Son, The Silent Twins and Women Talking.

British Sign Language interpretation is available on request for screenings with guest speakers. A link can be found in the Additional Information sidebar of the relevant Film pages on at borderlinesfilmfestival.org

Audio description for the visually impaired is available on some titles with individual headsets available on request.

There will also be three relaxed screenings: What's Love Got To Do With It?, on March 4, at Malvern Theatres; and Women Talking, on March 6, and The Whale, on March 9, at The Courtyard Hereford.

Relaxed screenings are specially designed for those who would appreciate a less formal cinema environment. They are open to everyone but may benefit individuals with autism spectrum conditions, learning difficulties or sensory and communication difficulties.

Most venues offer complimentary or discounted tickets for carers.

Festival director Naomi Vera-Sanso said: "A film festival is an occasion for people to come together and share an experience on the big screen. Our aim is to widen our appeal and make the films we offer inclusive for everyone.

"Borderlines is not just for cinephiles, it’s about communities. We show films that will have wide appeal like the cross-culture romance What’s Love Got to Do With it?, starring Lily James and Emma Thompson, the screen adaptation of Alan Bennett’s stage play Allelujah, with Judi Dench and Derek Jacobi, and Living, with Bill Nighy as a civil servant who undergoes a life-changing about face."

Tickets and passes for the festival are now on sale for all venues via borderlinesfilmfestival.org, in person or by phone through The Courtyard Hereford or directly from other venues.