Most SBIFF-goers take it
for granted that, once they manage the gauntlet to get into a theater seat,
they’ll be able to see and hear the cinematic goods they came for. But for
some, including the hearing impaired, the sensory connection can be a
challenge. There is good news on the theatrical sound front, SBIFF-wise.
On Tuesday, January 14, the day before the festival’s official launch , a gathering of press types and others convened at the Fiesta 5 for a special walk-through and test drive of a new hearing loop system now installed in the SBIFF-featured theaters of the Metro 4 and Fiesta 5. Enabled by funding from the Manitou Fund and deploying technology from the locally based and world-renowned company OTOjOy, the system sends signals to patron’s hearing aids or cochlear implants — any “telecoil-enabled” device.
Hearing-impaired
filmgoers, concertgoers, and general-purpose cultural consumers and fans can
increasingly enjoy events clarity, now including SBIFF’s main screening venues
(the Arlington and the Riviera have previously been loop-equipped).