Show Me Shorts Heads to Christchurch as Captioned Screenings Broaden Access

A sold-out opening night launches the Christchurch season this Wednesday, while Auckland and Wellington audiences have limited time to catch screenings at two central venues.

By Webfit News | 12 October 2026

Show Me Shorts arrives in Christchurch this week with a sold-out opening night, but audiences still have opportunities to attend later screenings and dedicated captioned sessions.

In an update sent on Monday, festival organisers said the opening at Alice Cinemas on Wednesday, 14 October, had sold out. Tickets remained available for other Christchurch screenings through 25 October.

The festival will also announce its 2026 award winners on Wednesday, with screenings of the winning films beginning that evening in Auckland and Wellington.

Opening up the cinema experience

Alongside its regional screenings, Show Me Shorts is expanding access for people who are hard of hearing.

Its accessibility programme offers open-captioned screenings of The Sampler and Aotearoa at selected cinemas in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Ōpōtiki. Organisers say the expanded selection of films and locations follows strong demand in previous years.

The festival’s latest update says the screenings were developed in partnership with Able and include captions for dialogue and sound.

For audiences who rely on captions, these sessions provide an opportunity to experience the films in a cinema and participate in the festival alongside other viewers.

Festival director Gina Dellabarca says the organisation is working to increase opportunities to participate despite budget constraints.

“My team and I believe short films are for everyone,” she said.

Upcoming captioned screenings

Location	Programme	Date and time
The Capitol, Auckland	Aotearoa	Tuesday, 13 October, 7pm
Beachside Cinemas, Auckland	The Sampler	Saturday, 17 October, 4pm
Beachside Cinemas, Auckland	Aotearoa	Sunday, 18 October, 4pm
Alice Cinemas, Christchurch	The Sampler	Saturday, 17 October, 2.30pm
Alice Cinemas, Christchurch	Aotearoa	Thursday, 22 October, 6pm
Ōpōtiki De Luxe Theatre	Aotearoa	Tuesday, 20 October, 5.30pm
Ōpōtiki De Luxe Theatre	The Sampler	Wednesday, 21 October, 1.30pm

These sessions are listed in the festival’s accessibility programme. Audiences should check with the relevant cinema for ticket availability before travelling.

Final sessions at The Capitol and Light House Cuba

The Capitol’s remaining programme begins with Oddballs & Absurd Calls on Monday, 12 October, at 7pm.

The captioned Aotearoa session follows on Tuesday, before Award Winners closes the venue’s festival programme on Wednesday at 7.30pm.

At Wellington’s Light House Cuba, festival screenings also finish on Wednesday. The remaining programme includes The Sampler, Norwegian Short Film Focus and Award Winners, according to organisers.

Those closing dates apply to the named venues, rather than marking the end of the festival nationwide.

A sold-out opening is not the last opportunity

For Christchurch viewers, the sold-out opening does not mean the season is fully booked. Later screenings offer another opportunity to see the programme, including the two captioned sessions.

For Auckland and Wellington audiences, the immediate priority is checking the remaining sessions at The Capitol and Light House Cuba.

With award-winning films about to be announced and captioned screenings continuing across several locations, the festival offers different ways for audiences to take part beyond an opening-night ticket.

Sources: Show Me Shorts festival update, 12 October 2026; official 2026 accessibility programme. Ticket availability reflects the organisers’ Monday update.