Inclusion and Accessibility

Verzió International Human Rights Documentary Film Festival has endorsed the Manifesto on Equality, Inclusion and Diversity adopted by the festivals of the Doc Around Europe Network.

We believe that documentary film should reflect the diversity and complexity of our societies and present a wide range of perspectives. As a festival, we consider it our responsibility to create a safe, respectful and welcoming environment where everyone can take part in our programmes.

We are committed to reducing barriers to participation. We continuously work to improve accessibility at our venues, screenings, in our communications and across our digital platforms.

What are we doing to make the festival more accessible?

A more accessible film experience

The vast majority of films screened at the festival have Hungarian and English subtitles.

Screenings without Hungarian subtitles, but with English subtitles available, are clearly marked in the programme.

In 2026, we are also providing SDH subtitles (Subtitles for Deaf and Hard of Hearing) for four films. SDH subtitles include not only dialogue but also relevant sounds, noises and speaker identification.

Audio description is also available at several screenings. Audio description provides spoken descriptions of visual information in a film, such as characters’ appearances, locations and important visual details of the action, making films more accessible to blind and partially sighted audiences.

Accessible screenings at the 23rd Verzió 

1. PAPA
   A film by Attila Ponczók. 91 min.
   Accessible screening:
   22 November, 15:00 – Toldi Cinema, David Lynch Hall
   Hungarian SDH subtitles and Hungarian audio description. Relaxed screening. 
2. UNDER THE DANCE FLOOR
   A film by Sára Tímár. 81 min.
   Accessible screenings:
   21 November, 20:30 – Toldi Cinema, David Lynch Hall
   English subtitles and Hungarian audio description.
   25 November, 18:30 – Toldi Cinema, Balázs Béla Hall
   Hungarian SDH subtitles and Hungarian audio description. 
3. BIRDS OF WAR
   A film by Janay Boulos and Abd Al-kader Habak. 92 min.
   Accessible screenings:
   17 November, 16:00 – Toldi Cinema, David Lynch Hall
   English SDH subtitles.
   23 November, 20:30 – Toldi Cinema, Balázs Béla Hall
   Hungarian SDH subtitles.
4. MAGILLIGAN
   A film by Ross McClean. 73 min.
   Accessible screenings:
   22 November, 16:30 – Toldi Cinema, Balázs Béla Hall
   Hungarian SDH subtitles
   19 November, 18:00 – Toldi Cinema, David Lynch Hall
   English SDH subtitles

Accessible screenings are marked with dedicated icons in the programme.

Relaxed screenings

On the festival weekend, we organise a relaxed screening in the early afternoon, offering a more relaxed and flexible cinema environment.

A relaxed screening is designed to reduce sensory stimulation for people who may find a conventional cinema environment overwhelming. The auditorium will have dimmed lighting and lower sound levels, and audience members are free to move around or leave the screening room whenever they need to.

Relaxed screenings may be particularly helpful for autistic people, people with ADHD, people with intellectual disabilities and people with sensory sensitivities. However, they are open to anyone who would appreciate a more relaxed film experience.

We also want to make it easier for parents with young children to enjoy a film. Childcare will therefore be available in the foyer of Toldi Cinema during the screening. This initiative is made possible in cooperation with the Faculty of Primary and Pre-School Education at Eötvös Loránd University (ELTE).

Relaxed screenings are clearly marked in the programme.

Content warnings

Verzió films often explore difficult, distressing or sensitive social issues.

On each film’s information page, we provide content warnings to identify themes or material that some viewers may find particularly distressing.

These warnings help audiences make informed decisions about which films they wish to watch.

Accessible venues

Several festival venues are wheelchair accessible. For each venue, we provide detailed information about how to get there, entrance access, routes to screening rooms, accessible toilets and other accessibility features.

We are preparing downloadable Word documents with accessibility information for each venue to help visitors plan their festival experience.

Please note that accessibility features vary between venues and, in some cases, between screening rooms within the same venue. Always check the detailed accessibility information for the specific screening location.

• Toldi Cinema
• Művész Cinema
• Blinken OSA Archivum
• CEU Budapest
• Trafó

Assistance dogs

Assistance dogs, including guide dogs, are welcome at all festival venues. If you require any additional assistance during your visit, please let our festival team know in advance.

If you encounter an accessibility barrier

Improving accessibility is an ongoing process. If you encounter a barrier that is not addressed on this page, or have a suggestion that could help us make the festival more inclusive, we would be glad to hear from you. Email us at: info@verzio.org. Please include Accessibility in the subject line. Your feedback helps us make Verzió more accessible year after year.