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Audio Described

Relaxed

Parent & Baby

HOH Subtitles

Amplified Audio

Wherever possible, we play films with the Amplified Audio soundtrack. These films are listed below and can be recognised by the [AA] image beside the film title.

A film with an amplified audio soundtrack is specifically intended for people with hearing impairment. It means that we can supply you with headphones for the duration of the film, and you can turn up the volume as much as you need. 

An amplified audio soundtrack has no affect whatsoever on anyone without the headphones; it's just like a regular film.

Wherever possible we play films with the audio description soundtrack. These films are listed below, and can be recognised by the [AD] image beside the film title.

A film with an audio description soundtrack means that we can supply you with headphones for the duration of the film which will relay a special soundtrack with full description of events happening on screen. This means that anyone with visual impairment or other needs can fully enjoy the film.

An audio description soundtrack has no affect whatsoever to anyone without the headphones; it's just like a regular film.

Relaxed screenings offer a chance to see films in a relaxed environment and are open to everyone to attend, but are especially tailored for those with autism or others with sensory needs, as well as their friends, family and carers. Relaxed screenings are scheduled every second Sunday of the month.

Look at our Photo social story and read our Access Statement which can be used to see the venue before your visit. There is also a 3D tour of the cinema available here.

What’s different about these screenings?

The sound is lower than usual (we also have ear defenders available), the lights are kept on low, seats are not allocated, the cinema screening is filled to a maximum capacity of 75%.It’s ok to move around or walk out of the screen if you need a break. It’s ok to make noise if you need.

Our staff have all received Dimensions UK training, and we’ll make sure it’s a friendly, welcoming and safe environment.

Our dementia-friendly screenings take place every second Wednesday of the month.

The film starts at 11am, and our cafe and facilities are be open from 10am for early arrivals, tea, coffee & cake!

As with all our accessible screenings, carers go free.

We’re a dementia-friendly venue and all our staff have been dementia trained via the Alzheimer’s Society. We’ve adapted the space and made adjustments to make sure the space is as safe, helpful, and happy as possible.

This includes:

Additional signage

No adverts or trailers

Lights are left on dim and volume is turned down

The cinema isn’t filled to capacity

Relaxed – eg attendees can sing, dance or talk during the film

15 min interval

Extra cushions & alternative seating available

If you have any questions email us, or sign up for our newsletter to hear about forthcoming screenings!

Accessibility:
Please be aware, the cinema is on the first floor and there is no lift. We do have a medium-wide (1100mm) stairwell with handrails on both sides, and we’ve had several guests with limited mobility join us for films. However it does rely on walking up the stairs (with assistance as required).

Our staff will be ready to lend a hand wherever needed.

Please see here for our Accessibility Document.

A chance for parents and carers with babies under a year old to see the best new films.

The cafe is open from 10am, and the films begin at 11am. The sound is turned down a little, and the lights kept up a little. We'll also help you upstairs with your buggy!

(Please note that due to the need to keep our fire exits accessible, buggies are parked in the bar, where we have staff and CCTV, while the film is on)

Only adults accompanied by babies will be admitted.

HOH subtitles, or ‘closed captioning’, refers to subtitles specifically intended for people who are Deaf or hard of hearing. They are a transcription rather than a translation, so as well as reproducing dialogue in films, aim to describe every additional non-dialogue sound available to a hearing audience, e.g. “(sighs)” or “(door creaks)” and song lyrics. These subtitles are hard-coded onto the screen. All guests are welcome to purchase tickets to these screenings and in our experience, hearing guests at these performances do not find the subtitles to be distracting at all.

Come with us on an adventure through space and time as we explore the outer reaches of the universe in our Summer Of Sci-Fi season!

Check out all the exciting events we’ve got coming up, by date.

When we’re not watching films we’re discussing them, running a quiz, learning to knit or laughing at hilarious stand-up comedy. If you’re a dab hand at arts & crafts or you’ve got an idea for an event, workshop or talk - contact us and let us know!

Tue, 16 Dec

Christmas with Distorted Frame: Tangerine

Merry Christmas Eve, bitch! A perfectly anarchic alternative festive feature, Anora director Sean Baker's breakout film follows trans sex workers Sin-Dee Rella and Alexandra over an eventful day and a night before Christmas, as they scour the less glamorous side of Hollywood for Sin-Dee’s good-for-nothing boyfriend Chester. Shot entirely on smartphones, Tangerine is a kinetic LA odyssey which, writes Slate’s Dana Stevens, 'slowly coalesces into a romantic comedy as intricately constructed as any door-slamming stage farce'. Distorted Frame is a community film club that presents screenings of films which embrace the unique qualities, flaws and possibilities of the digital camera.

MEMBERS ONLY: Wreath Making Workshop

Members Only: Wreath Making Workshop at The Castle You’re a Castle member. You like Christmas and flowers. This one’s for you. Join us Tuesday 16th December for an exclusive evening with Meades, an independent Clapton based florist. Expect a wholesome Christmas Door Wreath Workshops, led by two florists from Meades. Follow them on Instagram @meadeshackney "I am so thankful for Meade's: they've been tireless in supporting our community, donating Christmas wreaths, being complete legends. We love them!". Al Gordon - Rector of Hackney Adults only. Includes popcorn and bar snack tapas, because we love you. Spaces limited so DON'T miss out

Wed, 17 Dec

DAILIES PRESENTS: Interrogating the Politics of Power & Individuality on Screen + Q&A

Join filmmaker and curator Tomisin Adepeju for a screening of bold and daring short films followed by a Q&A. For their final screening of the year, DAILIES presents a selection of distinct and genre-defying work that acutely interrogates the complexities of power dynamics and the way it shapes our ideas, character and perspective on the world. The curated shorts, directed by some of the most exciting film-makers working today are distinct and inventive in their form and visual approach. The films traverse themes around familial conflict, authoritarian ideals, overcoming creative challenges and boundless individuality. FILM-MAKERS:
Babak Anvari
Babak Anvari is a BAFTA winning British-Iranian film director and screenwriter. Anvari gained prominence with his debut feature Under the Shadow (2016), a supernatural horror film set amid the 1980s Iran-Iraq conflict. The film won a BAFTA for Outstanding Debut and also the BIFA for Best Director. Edem Wornoo
Edem Wornoo is a Ghanaian-British writer and director from South London. His latest short END OF PLAY (BBC Film) premiered at London Film Festival 2025 and won Best Sci-Fi/Fantasy award at the 2025 Bolton Film Festival. Edem is now developing his debut feature NOVA with BBC Film. Ashionye Ogene
Ashionye Ogene is a BAFTA-nominated producer, British Screen Forum Future Leader, and 2024 graduate of the National Film and Television School, where she received the BAFTA Prince William Scholarship. Her graduation films include Bunnyhood, a La Cinef winner at the 77th Cannes Film Festival, and milk, nominated for the 2025 EE BAFTA British Short Film award. Dylan Holmes Williams
Dylan Holmes Williams is a writer-director based in London. In TV, he is currently directing all five episodes of the upcoming mini-series The War Between The Land & The Sea for BBC & Disney+. Previously, he directed four episodes of M. Night Shyamalan’s Servant on Apple TV+, including the season opener of season 4

Wed, 4 Feb

LONDON BOYS + Q&A

After a sell out screening last year at The Castle as part of the South Asian Heritage Month 2025 programme, we bring you an encore screening of LONDON BOYS + a Q&A. Behind the loud and intimidating motorcycles of the "Bangladeshi Bad Boys" is a group of second-generation Bangladeshi men who find in motorcycles a sense of identity and a way to overcome racism. Co-directed by Arun Nangla and Laura Pavone, this documentary offers surprisingly vulnerable moments as it lifts a curtain on the racism faced by the Bangladeshi community in the UK, as well as the frustrations, hurt, and pain that come with it. With a loving lens of East London, the exploration of masculinity and Islamophobia is poignantly told by men facing an identity crisis at the intersection of the generational racism they’ve endured. Stay around after the screening for a Q&A with Arun, Laura & special guests...

The End

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