Cineplex & CJ 4DPLEX Introduce 4DX, British Columbia

Cineplex, a leading entertainment, and media company, in partnership with CJ 4DPLEX, the world's leading producer of premium film formats and cinema technologies, has opened British Columbia's first 4DX auditorium at Cineplex Cinemas Metropolis in Burnaby. The 4DX cinematic experience gives audiences the ability to fully escape into their movie while engaging all their senses, including touch, sight, sound and smell. The enhanced cinematic experience at Cineplex Cinemas Metropolis debuted with Avatar: The Way of Water. Developed by CJ 4DPLEX, 4DX is a state-of-the-art film technology that delivers an immersive multi-sensory cinematic experience incorporating on-screen visuals with synchronised motion seats as well as environmental effects such as water, wind, fog, scent, snow and more, to enhance the action on screen. It is the world's first and leading 4D movie technology brand for feature films including Hollywood blockbusters, local films, and alternative content such as concerts and commercials.

"The state-of-the-art technology that CJ 4DPLEX has masterfully created brings a true and incomparable escape into the magical world of cinema that you have to see, hear, feel and smell to believe. The 4DX experience is another example of our ongoing commitment to innovation in our theatres," said Kevin Watts, Executive Vice President, Exhibition & LBE, Cineplex. "It is a real thrill to bring 4DX to our guests in Burnaby and the surrounding Metro Vancouver area, especially just in time for the busy holiday season when we all look forward to visiting the theatres with family and friends. We are excited to expand 4DX in Canada and continue our partnership with Cineplex. 4DX provides moviegoers with an experience that can only be appreciated in the theatre," said Duncan Macdonald, Head of Worldwide Marketing and Theatre Development, CJ 4DPLEX America. "The process to enhance content for the 4DX screen requires skilled editors and weeks of work; the end result is magical. Nothing matches the immersive and interactive experience that 4DX provides."

Moving iMage Named Global Cinema Distributor by LEA

Moving iMage Technologies, a leading cinema technology company, and LEA Professional (LEA), a global manufacturer of industry-first, proaudio amplifiers with cloud- and IoTbased technologies, today announced a partnership to distribute LEA's line of ‘smart’ power amplifiers to the global cinema market. "This partnership brings together two leading, entrepreneurial companies to provide LEA's best-in-class audio technology to the cinema market," said Joe Delgado, executive vice president, sales and marketing.

"LEA's line of IoT/Cloud-enabled Professional-grade 'smart' amplifiers and associated technologies are known for reliability, quality and product availability. Combined with MiT's experience in cinema, this partnership presents a significant opportunity for both companies to expand their market opportunity. In addition, this relationship is especially timely given that the global cinema market is in a technology refresh cycle."

"We are excited to partner with a leading company like MiT to help expand our business deeper into the global cinema market," said Scott Robbins, vice president of global sales for LEA Professional. "MiT's decades of experience in cinema is a great match for LEA. Our 'smart' amplifier systems are known for easy connectivity, onboard digital signal processing, high output and elevated audio performance that bring highimpact immersive sound experiences to movie audiences and a higher ROI to exhibitors. We believe MiT's experience understanding exhibitors' requirements will help to communicate LEA's value proposition to the cinema market."

MiT will have global distribution rights for the cinema market, including studios, high-end home theatres and post-production facility applications that utilize Digital Cinema Initiatives (DCI) displays, projectors and servers. Additionally, LEA amplifiers are backed by a US-based worldclass Professional Audio engineering team, online and technical resources, as well as an industry-leading 6-year warranty, providing exhibitors with peace of mind while reinforcing LEA's confidence in their quality and customer satisfaction. Delgado concluded, "This partnership enhances our strategy to enter new markets outside North America. By adding LEA's power amplifiers to our current and future line of products and services that we believe have the potential to penetrate global markets."

IMAX::: Second Biggest Global Opening of Avatar: The Way of Water

IMAX announced that moviegoers returned to Pandora in droves with James Cameron's ground-breaking sci-fi sequel Avatar: The Way of Water delivering a massive $48.8 million global opening weekend in IMAX theatres - the second biggest IMAX global opening of all time. Disney/ Lightstorm's Avatar: The Way of Water also claimed IMAX's biggest December global opening of all time.

IMAX built on its historic legacy with this one-of-a-kind franchise, racking up an outsized 11.2 per cent of the film's worldwide gross on just a fraction of total screens. The original Avatar is the highest grossing film in IMAX of all time. The North American box office led the way, where IMAX delivered $16.5 million in Domestic box office - 12.3 per cent of total receipts. Avatar: The Way of Water also heralded a return to form for IMAX in China, where the Company delivered a $15.8 million opening weekend. IMAX delivered its biggest opening weekend marketing share ever in China, accounting for 27% of the total box office in China on only 1 per cent of total screens in the market.

"Avatar: The Way of Water is a watershed achievement in filmmaking innovation and technology, and it's clear that global audiences are choosing to see this film through the best technology for blockbuster entertainment in the world: IMAX," said Rich Gelfond, CEO of IMAX. "As excited as we are about these early results, we anticipate a long and successful run for Avatar: The Way of Water as more people around the world book their ticket to Pandora for the epic storytelling and unmissable visual splendour of what James Cameron and his team have created."

International IMAX screens outside of China delivered $16.5 million in box office with Avatar: The Way of Water

The film scored the biggest IMAX opening weekend of all time in diverse collection of 11 global markets, including India, Belgium, Czech Republic, Romania, Serbia, Switzerland, Turkey, Vietnam, Chile, Kazakhstan, and New Zealand, where Avatar: The Way of Water was filmed and IMAX recently opened its first theatre in the city of Wellington. In total, 41 international markets posted top five all-time IMAX opening weekends.

Gelfond continued, "From our recordbreaking results with the first Avatar to our outsized market share with its recent re-release, we believe there is powerful data to suggest that Avatar: The Way of Water will have strong legs at the global box office for IMAX and that fans will be filling our theatres for this one-of-a-kind cinematic experience well into the new year."Avatar: The Way of Water debuted with the widest IMAX global release of all time across 1,543 screens and is available exclusively in IMAX 3D in IMAX locations worldwide.

STRONG/MDI Signs Exclusive Agreement with Marcus Theatres

STRONG/MDI Screen Systems a wholly owned subsidiary of Ballantyne Strong and a leader in manufacturing of state-of-the-art Cinema Screens announced it has signed an exclusive three-year cinema screen supply agreement with Marcus Theatres. Ray Boegner, President of Strong Entertainment, commented, "We are pleased to continue our long-running partnership with Marcus Theatres, helping them provide a premium cinema experience to their customers in their theatres across the United States. We continue to partner with leading cinemas to provide them with the best in projection screen quality and technology, and we look forward to expanding our partnership network as more and more cinemas throughout the U.S. and globally look to upgrade their offerings." "Marcus Theatres is a well-known and respected cinema circuit with a strong customer base and presence throughout the U.S.," stated Francois Barrette, General Manager of Strong/ MDI. "This exclusive partnership with Marcus Theatres is a testament to their continued belief in Strong/MDI products and their commitment to delivering the best in screen presentation technology to their customers in all of their cinemas nationwide. We are thrilled to be offering STRONG/MDI screens in our cinemas," said Mark Gramz, president of Marcus Theatres. "Strong/MDI screens represent the highest standard of screen presentation technology available today, and we are pleased to be providing this to customers at our locations across the United States."

Galalite Transforms Cinema Viewing Experience in East and Central Africa

A well-acclaimed brand for upgrading theatres, Galalite is the proud provider of Central Africa's biggest cinema screens for Two Rivers Mall in Nairobi, Kenya. Central and East Africa's largest cinema screen ranging up tp 19.5 metres in width and 8.7 metres in height was installed at Two Rivers Mall in the centre of Nairobi. In a revolutionary partnership with Century Cinemax, the complex boasts the biggest cinema screen and includes a Dolby Atmos 4K screen and sound system. To accommodate the large screen, the movie theatre, known as TRX (Two Rivers Extreme), is situated in an opulent auditorium that is the height of a four-story building. The recently opened movie theatre complex also has a VIP kids' theatre built for entertainment, convenience and security. The most immersive, all-encompassing movieviewing experience is made possible by modern 7.1 virtual surround sound technology and Galalite's Prism 3D 3.4 screen. The theatre installed Galalite's Prism 3D 3.4 screen. Given their method of calculating the cumulative gain of a screen, their customers are always aware of the exact features of the screens and can accurately gauge whether it fits their requirements. Galalite has always prioritised transparency when helping theatre owners upgrade their theatres. The advantages of LENSRAY technology also come to the rescue when it comes to accommodating an audience that only expects the top tier of the cinema viewing experience. LENSRAY Technology reduces visual noise improving viewing angles and scattering light by up to 20% helping reduce hot spotting which enhances the movie viewing experience. LENSRAY Technology is available in Mirage, Prism 3D, and Digilite.

Sharp/NEC Equips Roxy with the Largest PLF

Sharp/NEC Display Solutions Europe has been chosen by Roxy Cinemas and Scrabble Entertainment to deliver the laser projection technology for Roxy’s prestigious new Dubai Hills project, including the largest PLF screen in the Middle East and North Africa. With two NEC NC3541L 4K RB laser projectors, Dubai Hills is taking advantage of RB laser technology delivering compelling benefits in terms of image quality, cost, and operational efficiency. Roxy Cinemas is a leading luxury cinema brand in the United Arab Emirates where guests enjoy international blockbusters, culture events and sports action all in a sophisticated environment.

Dubai Hills is this year’s biggest new opening by Roxy Cinemas in the UAE. The cinema hosts the single largest PLF screen across Middle East and North Africa, measuring 28 meters by 15.1 meters. At 423 square meters, the “Roxy Xtreme” screen is the size of two tennis courts. To power the installation, Roxy Cinemas and Scrabble Entertainment, the leading provider of end-to-end Digital Cinema Solutions in the Middle East, decided on a dual projection system with two NEC NC3541L 4K RB laser projectors.