Accessibility at QWOCFF
QWOCFF is one of the most accessible film festivals in the world. Every screening is open captioned and audio described. ASL interpreters are on site for all opening remarks, filmmaker Q&As, and the Festival Reception. There have been ongoing institutional practices because our shows deserve to reach everyone, and all bodies deserve access to all spaces.
Your Guide to Access at QWOCFF
Find what you need below, or jump to a section from the menu.
If you have a need we haven't addressed, here's how to reach us:
Email festival@qwocmap.org
Find a Safety & Care crew member at the festival (identified by RED badges)
Share your experience through the Film Event Accessibility Scorecard
The Front Desk is in the main lobby and is your first stop for support and equipment needs. Audio description headphones, assistive listening devices, tactile maps, masks, antigen tests, and connections to the Safety & Care team are all available there.
Blind & Low Vision
Audio description on every film, tactile maps available at the Front Desk or mailed in advance, guide-dog seating, and a screen-reader–friendly festival program.
Deaf & Hard-of-Hearing
Open captions on every film, ASL interpretation for live elements, assistive listening devices, and visual emergency lights.
Childcare
Free childcare is provided during daytime screenings on Saturday and Sunday. Registration is required by June 10th so we can plan for your child's needs. Walk-ins are at the discretion of the childcare providers.
Respiratory Safety
Required masking, HEPA filters, antigen tests, and protocols that protect our community.
Fragrance Free
A fragrance free section in the orchestra and shared practices that make the venue safer for chemically-injured community members. Read the full guidelines before you arrive.
Quiet Space
There is a quiet, low-stim space away from the intense stimulation of our audiences. Approach our Safety & Care crew (identified by RED badges) to be directed to this space.
All Genders Restroom
There are two All Genders restrooms in the lower lobby, accessible by elevator. Both are wheelchair accessible and have mobile HEPA air filters.
EMF Safety
LEDs are in lobbies, bathrooms, and seating areas. Work lights are on stage. The building has Wi-Fi throughout. We ask audiences not to use cell phones during screenings except for urgent matters.
QWOCFF is held at the Presidio Theatre, which was renovated with accessibility in mind. The entire venue, including lobbies, the auditorium, and All Genders restrooms, is wheelchair accessible. An elevator connects the lower lobby restrooms.
Entry: Wheelchair and mobility device users go to the front of the entry line. Benches are available outside near the entrance.
Seating: Mobility seating is toward the back of the orchestra. See the Seat Map for specific locations.
The Presidio Theatre has padded theater seats with arms throughout the auditorium. In the orchestra, 8 of these seats have an armrest that can be lifted. At the back of the orchestra, padded seats without arms are available for comfort and support up to 800 lbs. These seats are marked on the Seat Map as "size." Ask staff for assistance.
Guide dogs and trained service animals are welcome at QWOCFF. There are different seating sections for guide dogs and service animals.
Chemically Injured Attendees with Hypoallergenic Animals
If you are chemically injured and have a hypoallergenic guide dog or trained service animal, you and your animal can sit in the Fragrance Free section in the orchestra.
All Other Guide Dogs
We encourage people with guide dogs to sit in the mezzanine stage left.
All Other Trained Service Animals
We encourage people with other trained service animals to sit in the mezzanine stage right, or toward the back of the orchestra.
See the Seat Map for locations, or ask staff at the Front Desk.
Tobacco
Smoking of any substance is not permitted at Presidio Tunnel Tops, the Main Post Lawns, or within 25 feet of buildings. Cigarettes and tobacco vape pens must be used outdoors at least 200 feet from the venue entrance.
Marijuana / Cannabis
We understand that some people smoke and use cannabis products for their health and wellbeing. We want you to be able to do so safely — which means outside the Presidio National Park.
When you enter the Presidio, the law shifts from California state and San Francisco city law to U.S. federal law. The Presidio Theatre is a historical building inside a National Park, and federal law prohibits the possession and consumption of marijuana and cannabis, including vape pens. Federal penalties are harsh. Please consume safely before arriving inside the Presidio park.
Encore
The QWOCFF Encore Screening streams free worldwide in September. All Encore films include open captions and audio description. Filmmaker Q&As are open captioned and there are visual descriptions of speakers for Blind and Low Vision audiences.
Satellite Screenings
Satellite screenings take place at ADA-accessible venues in May, August, and October, produced in partnership with community organizations. All satellite films include open captions. Availability of audio description and other accessibility features varies by venue and partner capacity.
Seat Map
Multiple sections of this page reference the Seat Map. Use it to locate Mobility Seating, Size seating, Guide Dog seating, the Fragrance Free section, ASL & Low Vision seating, and Late Seating.
Note: We know that ending ableism is ongoing work, even among those of us with disabilities. If you have a need we haven't addressed, tell us at festival@qwocmap.org. Your feedback shapes what comes next.
How Community Feedback Shapes Our Festival
We've been one of the top three most accessible film festivals in the world for a reason — every screening, we ask people to tell us what worked and what didn't, and we change what we do. The Accessibility Scorecard and the Audience Survey are what shape the festival you walk into next year.
Registered attendees receive survey links by email, allowing them to share feedback that helps us improve programming and future festival experiences. Didn't get a survey link, but still want to weigh in? Email us at festival@qwocmap.org. We read everything that comes through.
Accessibility Scorecard
The Scorecard is where you tell us how access showed up at QWOCFF: at the venue, in the seats, at the front desk, and/or on the way in. Everyone who attends can fill it out, whether you used an access service or not. The more feedback we receive, the more opportunity for us to improve the Festival experience.
What the Scorecard tells us:
- How our website worked for you before you arrived at the venue
- What the in-person event was like — seating, sightlines, signage, getting around once you were there
- Whether film access landed during screenings, panels, and Q&As — ASL interpretation, audio description, open captions, COVID precautions
- How the virtual Encore held up including the streaming platform, audio description, open captions
- What our staff and volunteers were like around access, and whether you'd come back
Audience Surveys
The Audience Survey is where you tell us what the festival was like for you — the films, the programming, the flow, what worked and what we missed. Everyone who registers for a screening gets a link by email after the event, whether you joined us in person, at a satellite screening, or online for the Encore.
What the Survey tells us:
- Which films and programs the community wants more of
- Where the festival flow worked, and where it didn't
- What you didn't know about the Festival until too late
- What we should do differently next year
