TheatreWorld ::: December 2023 - February 2024

MINDSHARE

THEATREWORLD EDITORIAL

The rise of streaming platforms has transformed the way audiences consume content, they have become major players in the industry and challenge the traditional model of theatrical releases. Despite this digital revolution that has altered access to films, cinema owners and businesses of the industry have seen a comeback in moviegoers this year. As the reign of blockbusters dominate the box office, cinemas are hopeful as the numbers go way beyond pre-covid levels!

Cinema halls are anticipating an influx of successful films, with new releases continuing to come in. TheatreWorld has observed an increase in the number of cinemas introduced this year, and we have put all our sheer and might to feature as many as possible in this edition. As the magazine marks its 23rd anniversary, we take pride in uniting the world of cinema and technology!

This edition undoubtedly brings immense joy, and as a team, we eagerly anticipate delivering the finest news and insights revolving around the Cinema Exhibition Industry.

Many people were excited about resuming their usual activities, including going to the movies, as lockdowns and restrictions started to ease in certain regions while it is reflected in the Box Office. The audience are expecting more from their favourite cinemas and are eager to explore new ones, lining up to try what's new. This year we have seen immense growth in technology and luxury added to many cinemas to elevate the movie experience of every patron. The technologies provide immersive sound systems and larger, highresolution screens like Dolby Atmos, DTS-X, PXL, ICE Theatres and more, making the cinema experience more captivating. This combined with the right projection screens and seating choices used, one will discover the true meaning of a brilliant cinematic experience!

Filmmakers are eager to return to producing movies for the big screen, expressing a preference for directing and shooting films intended for cinema viewing rather than OTT platforms. This development is promising for cinema owners, as it means an influx of more movies and, consequently, a larger audience!

In 2023, there has been a notable surge in box office performance, marked by the release of top blockbuster movies. Global sensations like 'Avatar: The Way of Water,' 'Barbie,' 'The Super Mario Bros. Movie,' 'Oppenheimer,' 'SpiderMan: Across the Spider-Verse,' and 'Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One' made a profound impact on cinemas upon their debut. Indian content too, contributed to this very success with notable releases including 'Pathaan,' 'Jawaan,' 'Gadar 2,' 'Jailer,' and 'Leo,' only to add to the excitement of cinematic landscape this year!

TheatreWorld is honoured to be the official media partner for CineAsia 2023, a key event in the Cinema Exhibition Industry for Asia. Scheduled to occur in Bangkok, Thailand, from December 4-7, CineAsia 2023 promises to be a significant gathering. We eagerly anticipate meeting you at the event!

Remember to grab your copy of TheatreWorld magazine from the CineAsia Publication Bin. See you there!

Raghavendra T Editor-Publisher DISCLAIMER - TheatreWorld Magazine does not warrant or assume any legal liability or responsibility for the quality, accuracy, completeness, legality, reliability or usefulness of any information, product or service represented within our magazine or web site.

The information provided is for knowledge or entertainment purposes only. TheatreWorld Magazine does not endorse or recommend any article, product, service or information found within said articles or advertisements. The views and opinions of the authors who have submitted articles to TheatreWorld Magazine belong to them alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of TheatreWorld Magazine or its staff.

TW-4 December 2023 - February 2024

Issue # 98 December 2023 - February 2024

Raghavendra T Editor-Publisher +91 9980 208 208 raghav@network208.com

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Sandeep Mittal Founder Editor-Publisher RNI # KARENG02795/10/1/2002-TC TheatreWorld is a quarterly publication, on the motion picture exhibition industry, for private circulation. It reaches out to subscribers, mainly theatre owners and trade professionals around the world. Additional copies are being promoted at major international industry tradeshows. TheatreWorld seeks the healthy promotion of the theatre industry through dissemination of useful information. Some of the information is compiled from industry sources, trade journals, company brochures for the benefit of readers, especially, theatre owners.

TheatreWorld acknowledges with thanks the authors and publishers of these printed materials. Views expressed in the articles are those of the authors and not necessarily of TheatreWorld. TheatreWorld is a trademark under registration. The contents of TheatreWorld are under copyright registration. All rights reserved. Reproduction by any means in whole or part without written permission is prohibited.

Unsolicited printed material is welcome but no responsibility is undertaken for the same and will not be returned.

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contents This issue of TW has two sets of page numbers - International pages TW-1 to TW-68 for TW, and India pages TM-1 to TM-38 for TM. TM is inserted between pages TW-62 and TW-63 of TW..

TW-8 Golden Screen Cinemas:

The Largest Cinema in Malaysia

TW-22 Major Cineplex: World's First Permanent Pet Cinema

INSTALLS TW-26 Kino International: Berlin's Crown Jewel Gets an Upgrade

I N S TA L L S

SPECIAL STORY

TW-32

TW-30 VOX Cinemas: Making a Mark in Century Corner TW-34 Cinépolis: First of its Kind in Dubai

TW-38 Cineroyale: The Cinematic Oasis in Nepalgunj

TECHNOLOGY TW-46 MJR Theatres: State-of-the-Art Large Screen Experience

TECHNOLOGY

TW-36 Marcus Ridge Cinema: First ScreenX in Wisconsin

MovieLand:

Retelling Tales in Ukraine

TW-40

TW-48 IMAX: Makes A Grand Opening in Sydney!

CINEMACITY Rahmania:

A New Wave of Entertainment in Sharjah

TW-51 Review TW-60 Review TW-61 Preview TW-63

F

U T U R E R E L E A S E S

TM-4

TW-43

INDIA PLEXING

SPECIAL FEATURE TM-14

I N S TA L L S

TRADESHOWS

TM-25

Curating Unmatchable Experiences TM-23

Rajhans Cinemas:

TM-28

TM-35 IMAX's Indian Odyssey

TM-30

BUSINESS TREND

TM-32

BO Revenues:

Clocking INR 12,000 Crore

TW-6 December 2023 - February 2024

Cinépolis:

Largest Curved Screens in Ahmedabad

Biggest Multiplex in Surat, Gujarat

TM-20

PVR INOX - Priya & Paras:

The Prestigious Standalone IMAX Cinemas in India

AAA Cinemas:

Miraj Cinemas:

First-Ever Multiplex in Gurdaspur PSR Cinemas, Berhampur:

Orissa’s Exceptional Feat of Design

Cinionic Debuts New Screen Designed for Laser-Powered Theatres Cinionic announced the debut of its new cinema screen designed for laserpowered auditoriums. The Cinionic Laser Screen 2.4 amplifies the power of laser projection through optimised efficiency and enhanced on screen presentation. Designed to be the ideal companion for Laser by Cinionic, the new screen is the first screen entry in Cinionic's all-laser solution portfolio.

Cinionic Laser Screen 2.4 is composed of a white-appearing silver material, so it excels in both 2D and 3D movie presentation when combined with laser projection. The purpose-built screen features a 2.4 gain that facilitates even light distribution for a sharp, unified image that delivers a consistent viewing experience.

Paired with Laser Cinionic Laser Screen 2.4 is part of an integrated laser solution that optimises efficiency due to the lower energy consumption required for achieving the same, or better, image quality of a larger projector. This can allow for a smaller projector specification and lower power setting, while extending the lifetime of the combined tech stack.

Cinionic Laser Screen 2.4 is now available in the U.S. and Mexico, with a global rollout planned over the next few months. AMC Theatres is set to be the first exhibitor to receive the new screens, with nearly two dozen installs planned this year. Since the introduction of theatrical laser projection, Cinionic has deployed over 35,000 laser solutions. Together with Barco, Cinionic continues to introduce new innovations focused on a sustainable future.

"Laser is the standard for theatrical projection today," said Wim Buyens,

TW-8 December 2023 - February 2024

Chief Executive Officer of Cinionic.

"Cinionic is dedicated to cinema and passionate about ensuring the highest quality presentation from booth to screen. With Barco Series 4, we have the leading family of laser projectors.

Now with the Cinionic Laser Screen 2.4, we enable exhibitors to get even more from laser. When you match the best projector with the right screen, the results are stunning."

IMAX & Hengdian Films Strike Biggest Deal in 4 Yrs For 20 New Locations in China Hengdian Films and IMAX recently announced a significant expansion of

their partnership with an agreement for twenty new IMAX with Laser systems across China. The agreement marks the largest deal for new IMAX systems in four years, reinforcing the renewed demand among Chinese exhibitors and audiences for The IMAX Experience with Hollywood and local content alike. "We are delighted to further strengthen our partnership with IMAX through this agreement, which represents a significant step forward in our strategy of developing cinematic multiplex locations and reflects our unwavering confidence in China's film market," said Xu Tianfu, Chairman of Hengdian Films. "This year has been pivotal for the industry's revival. From Chinese New Year to the summer season, moviegoers have consistently shown strong enthusiasm and demand for high-quality content and a premium experience. Together with IMAX, we look forward to creating a more immersive and colourful cinematic journey for audiences across more cities."

"We're excited to deepen our partnership and expand into new markets with Hengdian Films, as more exhibitors worldwide grow their commitment to IMAX and drive significant growth in our network this

year," said Rich Gelfond, CEO of IMAX. "Thanks to its robust mix of local language and Hollywood content, China continues to see a rapid recovery in moviegoing postCOVID and, as we are seeing in markets around the world, a rebound at the box office is often followed by network growth for IMAX." Hengdian Films and IMAX have enjoyed a successful partnership since 2015 and the new agreement will bring the total number of IMAX locations with Hengdian Films to 26.

The new IMAX with Laser locations will be located in Jingdezhen, Ulanqab and Zhangjiakou, all firstever locations in China for IMAX. Additionally, new locations are set to open in Hangzhou, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Jiujiang, Hohhot and Yangzhou, with more locations to be confirmed.

The multi-theatre deal comes after IMAX China delivered its highest grossing summer season ever at the box office. IMAX has earned more than $18.4 million to date in China with Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer - and garnered 30% of the film's opening weekend box office on less than 1% of screens. The fantasy epic Creation of The Gods also became IMAX China's all-time best summer title, with IMAX capturing 10% of the film's total box office. Earlier this year, IMAX recorded the Company's best-ever box office result for the peak moviegoing Chinese New Year, driven

by The Wandering Earth 2, which now stands as IMAX's highest grossing local language film of all time. The twenty new IMAX locations across China will be equipped with IMAX with Laser, IMAX's most advanced theatre experience. IMAX with Laser systems are immersive by design, developed from the groundup to deliver crystal clear, lifelike images and precision audio for a moviegoing experience unlike

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anything else. The ground-breaking 4K laser projection system delivers brighter images with increased resolution, deeper contrast, and the widest range of colours exclusively to IMAX screens.

Picturedrome Cinemas Set to Optimise Operations CIELO, the global leader in cinema device monitoring and data analytics, along with their partner, Bell Theatre Services, the leading supplier and installer of projection and sound equipment to the film industry in the UK have reached an agreement to start CIELO Cinema Enterprise Trial to optimise Picturedrome's operations. Picturedrome Cinemas, an independent cinema chain boasting 19 screens across 7 cinemas in the southern region of England, will implement CIELO's tools, thanks to Bell Theatre Services. This collaboration is a significant step toward improving the cinema experience for patrons and ensuring seamless daily operations. "We are delighted to have Picturedrome on board and to install CIELO for a 12-month trial on all their screens.

We've been providing reactive maintenance for their cinemas for several years. With CIELO, we are shifting to a more proactive approach, which promises to enhance the overall performance of cinema equipment and keep the shows running smoothly," said Paul Oliver, Director of Operations at BTS. CIELO's platform offers a comprehensive suite of tools designed to simplify, optimise, and boost cinema management, preventing issues before they escalate and turn into show stops. "We have built a very strong partnership with

Bell Theatre that has allowed us to jointly provide the right solutions for its exhibitors. We are very excited to have Picturedrome join the CIELO Ecosystem and to continue to support Bell Theatre win this customer", said Rafael Garzon, Vice President of Customer Growth at CIELO Enterprise Solutions. This new agreement solidifies the exceptional partnership between CIELO and BTS, reinforcing their commitment to delivering automated and efficient cinema operations and making business more profitable.

AAM Announces 'Game-Changing' Attribute Management Functionality

Arts Alliance Media (AAM), the global leader in digital cinema software and support services, has announced the introduction of 'game-changing' attribute management functionality in Producer, AAM's Enterprise Theatre Management System (E-TMS), to help exhibitors ensure content is optimised to each auditoriums' devices and provide viewers with the best possible experience. In the context of cinema devices and content management, attributes, also known as screen capabilities, refer to the various characteristics associated with the display, screen, or sound type on which content is presented, from resolution and aspect ratio to sound device and 3D capability.

Available to all Producer users from Q4 2023, users will have the power to centralise the configuration of all attributes across an entire network, instead of actioning manually at sitelevel, to accelerate the speed of onboarding and enable absolute consistency. David Ong, Chief Commercial Officer at Arts Alliance Media, commented, "we are committed to our customers' success and listening to their feedback is the key to continuous improvement.

By introducing centralised screen capabilities, we are taking a significant step forward in enhancing the onboarding experience with Producer, helping exhibitors to save time and money."

With circuit-wide attributes configured correctly, from Q1 2024, exhibitors will be able to access an all-new attributes management dashboard to enjoy advanced CPL targeting; a process where screens can be tagged based on its capabilities. For example, users will be able to map Flat CPLs to flat screens, Scope CPLs to scope screens, and 7.1 to 7.1 screens, to target specific content to its corresponding screen type. Consequently, shows will play in the correct audio and visual formats, with features matching the capabilities of each screen, to ensure the best presentation possible. If improvements are made to an auditorium, users can centrally edit any attributes that need updating instead of editing on-site. While, Producer also allows users to download full reports on their attributes, detailing location, attribute types, and more.

"Our customers will now enjoy a seamless and streamlined attribute management process, making their journey with us more efficient and user-friendly, while significantly enhancing the cinematic experience for moviegoers worldwide," explained

William McMorrow, Director of Product and Design at Arts Alliance Media. Producer is a cloud-based Enterprise Theatre Management System (E-TMS), also known as a Circuit Management System, which enables exhibitors to manage content for every cinema across their organisation all from a single dashboard. By empowering organisations to manage their circuit centrally, they can enjoy greater network control and increased operational efficiency.

William McMorrow added, "with such game-changing functionality, this is the most significant update since Producer's official launch and represents a major milestone in our commitment to delivering excellence.

We look forward to delivering this functionality to customers later this year."

Cinebox Selects GDC as a Technology Provider GDC Technology, a leading global provider of digital cinema solutions, announced today Cinebox signed an agreement to replace all legacy media servers with GDC's SR-1000 Standalone Integrated Media Block with diskless CineCache built-in cache memory storage.

Cinebox is Mexico's largest independent theatre circuit and operates in 13 cities such as Poza Rica, San Juan, San Martin, Tampico, Tula, and other Mexican cities. This agreement provides Cinebox with GDC digital cinema servers designed with the latest and most powerful

semiconductor technology for nearzero maintenance and minimal total cost of ownership. Since its launch at CinemaCon 2018, GDC has shipped over 24,000 SR-1000 units to theatres globally.

"At Cinebox, we base our business partnerships on trust and mutual value. Our partnership with GDC is built upon a mutual trust that has been fostered over time, said Roberto Henry, founder and CEO of Cinebox. "Our relationship is focused on a common goal to improve the experience for our guests. This server replacement agreement with GDC is testimony that we have each other's best interest in mind."

Cinebox is the largest independent cinema chain in the Mexican Republic and the third-largest chain nationwide.

The company began in the film exhibition business by opening its first movie theatre in 1977 in Ébano San Luis Potosí as Cine Ébano. In 2001, the Cinemas Henry brand was created, reconverting the chain. The company operated under the Henry Cinemas brand until 2015 when the brand was renamed Cinebox.

Cinebox currently has 12 cinema complexes with a presence in seven states of the Mexican Republic and operates a total of 71 screens.

Cinebox is best known for its innovative business concepts which are at the forefront of the sector.

"Cinebox has always strived to offer moviegoers outstanding customer services, value, and enjoyment. We built our partnership with Cinebox based on their needs and goals," said Michael Fernandez, Vice President of sales for the GDC Latin America region. "By selecting GDC for its entire circuit, Cinebox will have ultrareliable technology to help them achieve their goal of being the best at entertaining people in the cities they serve."

December 2023 - February 2024 TW-11

IMAX/NCG Expand Partnership with 3 Locations Across the States IMAX and U.S. exhibitor NCG Cinemas announced a new agreement for three state-of-the-art IMAX with Laser Systems across the U.S. The deal will expand IMAX's existing footprint with NCG Cinemas with two new IMAX locations in Tennessee and Georgia as well as an upgraded location in Michigan. Planning for the construction of the new standalone IMAX theatre in Kingsport, Tennessee begins this week, and is expected to open to the public in March 2025.

"As we enter the stretch run of 2023, we're excited that partners like NCG are growing their commitment to IMAX as we drive record share of the box office," said Rich Gelfond, CEO of IMAX. "This agreement continues the strong demand for the IMAX Experience we've seen this year in the North American market - a great indicator of momentum and future growth for our business."

"At NCG, we are dedicated to providing our neighbours with the highest quality cinematic experience possible. That's why we're proud to partner with IMAX - there's no brand more renowned in delivering that experience. We're thrilled to announce the expansion of the IMAX/NCG partnership," said Jeff Geiger, President & CEO of NCG Cinemas.

NCG Cinemas and IMAX have enjoyed a successful partnership since 2010, with the opening of the Grand Blanc IMAX location in Michigan. The new deal comes as IMAX continues to deliver strong box office results both domestically and globally; the Company set a new record for third quarter box office in 2023 with USD 347 million, and also delivered the best month of July ever with USD 176.2 million, due in part to the extraordinary performance of Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer.

TW-12 December 2023 - February 2024

The three NCG Cinemas IMAX locations will be equipped with IMAX with Laser, IMAX's most advanced theatre experience. Immersive by design, IMAX with Laser has been developed from the ground-up to deliver crystal clear, lifelike images and precision audio for a moviegoing experience unlike anything else. It is set apart by a ground-breaking 4K laser projection system that features a new optical engine, custom designed lenses, and a suite of proprietary technology that delivers brighter images with increased resolution, deeper contrast, and the widest range of colours exclusively to IMAX screens.

CJ 4DPLEX & Cinema Plus Sign New ScreenX Theatre Deal CJ 4DPLEX, the world's leading producer of premium film formats and cinema technologies, and Cinema Plus, the leading cinema chain in Azerbaijan, announced at the META Cinema Forum in Dubai that the two companies will be opening the firstever, 270-degree panoramic ScreenX auditorium in Azerbaijan. The revolutionary ScreenX theatre is set to open at 28 Mall in Azerbaijan's capital city Baku. Azerbaijan will be the 43rd country for ScreenX, a cutting-

edge cinematic technology that expands specially selected sequences of the film onto the left-and-right-side walls of the auditorium. As the world's first multi-projection cinema, ScreenX immerses audiences in a virtual realitylike setting with cinema quality resolution. 28 Mall, located in the heart of Baku.

In 2021, CJ 4DPLEX and Cinema Plus opened the first 4DX auditorium in Azerbaijan, located at Cinema Plus's Daniz Mall in Baku. 4DX is CJ 4DPLEX's multi-sensory format that pushes the envelope with over 21 sensory effects, including motion, water, lightning, scents, among others. Jongryul Kim, CEO of CJ 4DPLEX, stated, "We are delighted to expand our partnership with Cinema Plus by introducing the inaugural ScreenX theatre in the beautiful country of Azerbaijan. The 270-degree panoramic viewing technology will redefine the way Cinema Plus's patrons enjoy movies, offering a level of immersion that's simply unmatched and can't be replicated at home." The signing ceremony was attended by Zaur Darabzadeh, Chairman of Board, Cinema Plus, Murat Camci CEO, Cinema Plus and Jongryul Kim CEO, CJ 4DPLEX. "Bringing the future of cinema to our screens has always been our mission, and our partnership with CJ 4DPLEX enables us to do just that," said Murat Camci, CEO of Cinema Plus.

"Our collaboration with the CJ 4DPLEX team has already brought 4DX to Cinema Plus, and now, with the introduction of the first-ever ScreenX auditorium in Azerbaijan, we continue to lead the way in delivering cutting-edge cinematic experiences to our audiences."

"We are thrilled to bring the immersive magic of ScreenX to the vibrant city of Baku, Azerbaijan," added Don Savant, CEO & President, CJ 4DPLEX America.

112 Year Old Monarch Theatre Reopening in Medicine Hat, Canada The century-old cinema in southern Alberta still stands the test of time, bringing in a wave of nostalgia and memories with it for the cinephiles of its region! After a turbulent few year when its future seemed uncertain, the iconic 112-year-old Monarch Theatre - a landmark among the wellpreserved buildings of Medicine Hat's historic downtown - has new owners.

"It's affectionately known to be Canada's oldest, still-operating movie theatre," said Theatre Manager, Rob Pape. The buyer is the 1911 Monarch Society, a not-for-profit group formed by members of the city's four Rotary Clubs. The theatre will be operated by Pape's Plugged-In Media, a Medicine Hat live video and podcast production company with deep roots in the local arts community.

Medicine Hat city council approved the society's USD 100,000 purchase of the Monarch during a meeting. The city bought the cinema in 2020 in a bid to preserve the historic site after its former ownership group fell apart.

Under the city's ownership, the theatre saw a handful of events, but it went dark in mid-2021. Municipal officials began looking for a new buyer in early 2022. "I'm thrilled about the transition," said Aaron Nelson, the city's manager of cultural experiences and events. "The city initially stepped in to purchase the Monarch to provide stability. With this sale, we're confident that the new owner shares our vision for the theatre's significance and its potential to further enliven the downtown."

Pape said while it's unlikely the theatre will see screenings of the latest Hollywood blockbusters, it will be home to community events, performances and private functions.

There's no firm date for the grand opening yet, but Pape said the first film that will be shown is already set in

stone. "It was a no-brainer that the grand opening will be the documentary about the theatre," said Pape, speaking of local filmmaker Luke Fandrich's documentary, Your Cinema Needs You. "There's a lot of anticipation in the community.

Everybody's looking forward to that."

Fandrich spent more than a year digging into the theatre's past. He was working to finalise the documentary through much of this year while the cinema's fate was still up in the air.

He largely traced the history of the Monarch - which opened its doors on Dec. 21, 1911, and originally showed silent films - through the stories of Medicine Hatters and their personal ties to the theatre. The draw for Fandrich was the Monarch's somewhat murky history, with little to be found in the city's archives. He wanted to put the claim of it being the country's oldest surviving theatre to the test. "To the best of my knowledge, that seems to be the case," he said. "By a series of coincidences, the Monarch has just seemed to survive through all these decades and has remained as this incredible facility for screening films.

And it's still here, in quite an original form to how it was created to begin with."

His documentary's premiere will take place on the silver screen of its subject on the to-be-determined date of the Monarch's grand reopening."I'm excited for people to finally see the project after all these months of trying

to find this ending that we weren't sure was ever going to come," he said. "It's amazing that it's going to finally reopen and that the plan is to be able to premiere the documentary as the grand opening event of the Monarch Theatre."

BFI Supports Free Screenings for UK Cinemas BFI recently announced EUR 2.7 million of National Lottery good cause funding to bring new audiences to UK cinemas with free screenings. The funding was awarded to entertainment specialists elevenfiftyfive, who would deliver a consumer-facing pilot campaign with UK cinemas, to break down primary barriers to cinemagoing, focusing on cost and accessibility. Elevenfiftyfive is actively in development with the project and consulting with industry.

Following an open call to the Open Cinema Fund, which was announced as part of the BFI's 10-year strategy Screen Culture 2033, elevenfiftyfive has been selected to create an ambitious new campaign. They will seek to engage those who currently have low engagement with cinema, and work to retain them and build new audience. To maximise the impact of National Lottery funding, elevenfiftyfive is also working to secure a range of partnerships, including sponsors, to further the reach of the three-year campaign, which seeks to build momentum with a regular national moment.

Ben Luxford, Head of UK Audience at the BFI, said: "A new approach for our funding, we believe Open Cinemas offers an exciting opportunity to bring the industry together and create a regular national moment that drives new audiences to cinemas. As the exhibition sector continues to face new challenges, we are adapting our support to best meet the industry's December 2023 - February 2024 TW-13

needs and deliver positive public impact. Independent UK and international film enriches people's lives and cinemas provide vital cultural spaces for their local communities. In partnering with elevenfiftyfive we hope to not only boost cinema attendance, but also build new UK audiences in the long term; encouraging them to watch films they otherwise wouldn't think of or wouldn't get the opportunity to."

David Kapur, Co-Founder of elevenfiftyfive, said: "Sometimes we all need a break from the day to day and cinema can offer just that. This project is like no other before it and our approach is to create a national conversation around the escapism of cinema at scale, while also creating a regular, accessible opportunity to experience it. We will support and sustain the work of the industry by focusing on those who are currently not engaging or feeling like the cinema is a place for them. We can't wait to reveal what we've been working on."

The campaign will offer regular free screening on the big screen, of films that meet set criteria, which includes offering accessible screenings.

Participating venues will also need to meet accessibility requirements. The funding will address key objectives of the BFI's National Lottery Strategy, providing audiences across the UK a broader range of screen culture in cinemas, with a focus on tackling social and economic barriers.

The fund is part of a EUR 27.6 million National Lottery allocation that the BFI has made for supporting audiences over the three years of the BFI National Lottery Funding Plan 2023-2026. Other programmes include continuing the BFI Film Audience Network and the BFI National Lottery Audience Projects Fund. The BFI National Lottery Funding Strategy aims to build a diverse and accessible screen culture

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that benefits all of society and contributes to a prosperous UK economy. At its heart are three core principles: equity, diversity and inclusion, so everyone can develop a meaningful relationship with screen culture, regardless of their background or circumstances; UK-wide, so that everyone across the four nations of the UK should be able to experience and create the widest range of moving image storytelling; and environmental sustainability, from reducing the BFI's own carbon emissions to supporting wider industry efforts to get to net zero and address biodiversity loss.

SVT Successfully Install AAM's Screenwriter TMS Across Alamo Drafthouse Arts Alliance Media (AAM), the global leader in digital cinema software and support services, has confirmed that Sound Vision Technical (SVT), a technology services provider offering digital cinema conversions and installations worldwide, has successfully deployed Screenwriter throughout Alamo Drafthouse Cinemas' main market sites. After selecting Screenwriter, the world's most powerful, widely deployed Theatre Management System (TMS), as their TMS of choice, Alamo Drafthouse successfully brought 68 screens online across sites in Austin, San Antonio, New York City, and Boston. While, 32 screens in Brooklyn, Naples, and Denver can expect to begin centralising content, KDM and site management by December 2023.

The timely deployment of Screenwriter was not only propelled by Alamo Drafthouse's ambition to improve operational efficiency, but a reflection of SVT's meticulous

professional services and attentive customer care. "It was crucial for Screenwriter to be installed without error and in a timely manner", said Frankie Vaquerano, Director of Presentation at Alamo Drafthouse.

"The SVT team remained flexible and receptive throughout deployment, helping to train staff and onboard us effectively, and we now look forward to enjoying the benefits of upgrading to Screenwriter."

While each party was committed to efficiency in deployment, the process' fast-paced nature was the result of careful planning, thorough onboarding, and the strong relationship between SVT and Alamo Drafthouse.

"The ease and accuracy of the Screenwriter rollout is reflective of the product's simplicity in setup and the trust we have built with Alamo Drafthouse," explained Chase Taylor, Owner of Sound Vision Technical. "From the moment we arrived at each location, theatre-level staff were on-hand, ready to start the process, and have been the catalyst behind every smooth transition."

Peter Kim, Global Sales Director at Arts Alliance Media, added, "Sound Vision Technical have our full support as they complete the deployment of Alamo Drafthouse's main market and prepare to bring the franchisees online in 2024. We remain dedicated to simplifying the install process for both direct customers and integrators."

Screenwriter is set to be deployed throughout Alamo Drafthouse's franchise locations from March 2024.

New 'Laser Ultra' Experience Debuts At MJR Marketplace Cinema When was the last time you have been to the movies? If it's been a while, a new experience at MJR Theatres in The United States just might bring you back! "It's about 40-60,000 lumens," said Joel Kincaid, Vice President of Operations for MJR Theatres. "The typical TV at home is about 2,000. So (with) just the massive amount of brightness, you can get the clearest picture. The whitest whites and the blackest blacks. It's amazing." Kincaid is talking about the new Laser Ultra experience at the Marketplace Cinema, Sterling Heights' MJR location. "First, starting with sight, we have the state of the art laser projector system on the market," Kincaid said. He believes that bringing 4k to cinemas is not new, but laser is.

In addition to the laser sharp picture, he says the sound consists of 60 speakers that are completely surrounding the theatre, and guests can hear from the sides of them, as well from above. The new experience also includes VIP seating options.

The seats have privacy barriers, heated and reclining seats, and individual tables.

Cinionic Debuts New Screen Designed For Laser-Powered Theatres Cinionic, a Barco company, and global leader in laser cinema technology, announced today the debut of its new cinema screen designed for laserpowered auditoriums. The Cinionic

Laser Screen 2.4 amplifies the power of laser projection through optimised efficiency and enhanced onscreen movie presentation. Meticulously designed to be the ideal companion for the leading laser technology, Laser

by Cinionic, the new screen is the first screen entry into Cinionic's all-laser solution portfolio. Leveraging decades of theatrical industry expertise, Cinionic Laser Screen 2.4 is composed of a white-appearing silver material, so it excels in both 2D and 3D movie presentation when combined with laser projection. The purpose-built screen features a 2.4 gain that facilitates even light distribution for a sharp, unified image that delivers a consistent viewing experience.

moviegoing and enhancing the cinema experience for theatres and their audiences. With Cinionic Laser Screen 2.4, the company offers exhibitors a complete Laser by Cinionic cinema solution that includes Barco Series 4 projectors, Laser Light Upgrade Kits, audio, and media servers. Since the introduction of theatrical laser projection, Cinionic has driven the rapid expansion of this new standard in movie presentation around the world with over 35,000 laser solutions deployed today. Together with Barco, Cinionic continues to introduce new innovations that supports a sustainable future for the industry and enables cinemas to delight moviegoers week after week.

Paired with Laser by Cinionic, Cinionic Laser Screen 2.4 is a part of an integrated laser presentation solution that optimises efficiency due to the lower energy consumption required for achieving the same, or better, image quality of a larger projector.

This can allow for a smaller projector specification and lower power setting, while extending the lifetime of the combined tech stack. Cinionic Laser Screen 2.4 is now available in the U.S. and Mexico, with a global rollout planned over the next few months.

AMC Theatres is set to be the first exhibitor to receive the new screens, with nearly two dozen installs planned this year. "Laser is the standard for theatrical projection today," said Wim Buyens, CEO, Cinionic. "Cinionic is dedicated to cinema and is passionate about ensuring the highest quality presentation from booth to screen. With Barco Series 4, we have the leading family of laser projectors.

Now with the Cinionic Laser Screen 2.4, we enable exhibitors to get even more from laser. When you match the best projector with the right screen, the results are stunning."

Everyman Takes Step Forward in Bury St Edmunds, New Cinemas in Plan Plans for a new cinema in Bury St Edmunds have taken a step forward after an application for signage was submitted. Advertisement consent is being sought for the Everyman Cinema, which is due to open early next year in the basement of the former Debenhams at the Arc Shopping Centre. The ground and first floors are to be transformed into a Primark. A letter to West Suffolk Council for the outside illuminated fascia sign said access to the Everyman Cinema would be from ground floor level in Prospect Row. It added: "The proposed signage is of

Recent announcement confirms Cinionic's commitment to the future of December 2023 - February 2024 TW-15

a modest scale, an amount considered proportionate to the host unit." In July, a vacancy notice for a general manager at the cinema said the opening was planned for early 2024, with training beginning later this year. When announced last November, Primark was expected to open before the end of this year.

Everyman would be the third picture house in Bury St Edmunds, which already has a Cineworld and the independent Abbeygate Cinema.

New 14-screen to Replace Old Georgetown Cinema on Indy's West Side Texas-based movie theatre and eatery Alamo Drafthouse Cinema is making its grand debut in Indianapolis coming next spring. Sojos Capital, an Indianapolis-based property management company, announced plans to bring the first Alamo Drafthouse as part of city efforts to revive Indy's Northwest Side.

A ground-breaking ceremony was held to celebrate the announcement. The new Indianapolis location will replace the old Georgetown Cinema on Lafayette Road, across the street from Lafayette Square Mall, and include a 14-screen theatre with 1,000 seats.

A release states that future moviegoers can expect to also enjoy made-from-scratch food items, local beers on tap, and craft cocktails - all ready to be delivered to their seats.

Fabio de la Cruz, Principal of Sojos Capital, says the unique and cool experience Alamo Drafthouse brings goes into the heart of the northwest side revival vision. "Alamo will bring new life and energy to the neighbourhood. We are standing by our commitment to revitalise the northwest side neighbourhood and are

TW-16 December 2023 - February 2024

excited to start our first commercial project of many in the area."

According to the release, Alamo Drafthouse will also have a strict no-talking/no-texting policy to provide a distraction-free movie experience, along with an ad-free preshow, dynamic surround sound and 4K projection for each screen, and host a variety of events that will invite movie lovers to share their love of all things cinema.

Cinemex to Move Top 500 Screens to Cinionic Laser Projection by the End of 2024 Cinionic and Cinemex have announced the move to laser projection by Cinionic in 500 of the circuit's highestperforming locations. The laser technology giant worked with Cinemex to design a cinema solution that includes next-generation laser projection with screens expertly matched to complement the new presentation, Barco Alchemy media servers, and a 10-year extended warranty from Cinionic. The conversion to laser will apply to theatres in 10 states, covering major Mexican cities such as Guadalajara, Mexico City, Monterrey, Queretaro, and Tijuana. The deal centres on the circuit's top 53 theatres, including the Marquee Parque Delta, Antara, and Santa Fe locations. A rapid rollout of the new laser technology is expected over the next year, Laser projection is the green

choice for delivering cinema today through lower electricity use, elimination of waste from consumables, and a smaller carbon footprint.

"At Cinemex we always seek to provide our guests with a great experience. Cinionic's knowledge and its extensive portfolio of cinematographic technology allow us to offer the highest level of projection to the film lovers that we receive every day in our theatres," commented Francisco Eguren, the Chief Operating Officer of Grupo Cinemex. "Our guests will now enjoy not only avant-garde facilities, highly comfortable rooms and a variety of flavours in candy stations but also The Magic of Cinema with the laser quality of Cinionic," he added.

"Laser projection by Cinionic is the clear choice for the renewal wave in cinema today. For Cinemex we are leveraging our years of experience in laser, tens of thousands of laser installations, and expertise across the cinematic ecosystem to offer a complete, laser-based solution," added Wim Buyens, Chief Executive Officer of Cinionic.

"We are proud to be trusted by partners like Cinemex to help realise the power of laser in their theatres. We started Cinionic to offer a wow factor with laser, peace of mind with exceptional service, and flexibility for exhibition with innovative solutions & new commercial models. This announcement represents another significant milestone in our on-going mission to elevate moviegoing everywhere."

Galaxy Theatres Elevates Moviegoing Experience with New Christie Projectors in Select Auditoriums Galaxy Theatres is elevating the cinematic experience for its guests by introducing Christie RGB pure laser cinema projectors in select recently updated Digital Fusion Experience (DFX) auditoriums. Susan Griesi, Director of Marketing at Galaxy Theatres, emphasises, "With a prominent presence spanning across the Western US, including Arizona, California, Nevada, Texas and Washington, Galaxy Theatres has garnered a reputation for its unwavering commitment to delivering the ultimate immersive movie experience."

The DFX auditoriums boast immersive sound systems, expansive wall-to-wall and floor-to-ceiling screens, and plush power lounge chair recliners. To complete this luxury cinematic experience, Christie CP4430-RGB pure laser cinema projectors, featuring Real|Laser illumination, have recently been installed by Southern California Cinetech Services in the DFX auditoriums located at Galaxy Theatres Cannery in Nevada and Gig Harbor and Monroe in Washington. Griesi emphasises the choice of Christie solutions, stating, "We selected Christie because of their top-of-the-line projectors, delivering exceptional brightness for unparalleled presentations, along with the best warranty. We have had a successful 25-year partnership with Christie, ensuring a first-class presentation for our guests. It was only natural to collaborate again, this time for their latest laser digital projectors."

"We're thrilled that Galaxy Theatres has continued to place their trust in Christie to help them deliver a premium moviegoing experience for

their guests through a self-branded large format DFX experience." says Jason Jacobson, account manager, Cinema, at Christie. "Christie has been in the cinema business for over 65 years, and we echo Galaxy's passion and commitment to delivering an unforgettable experience for guests." Christie's RGB pure laser cinema projectors, featuring Real|Laser illumination technology, reduce energy costs by converting more lumens per watt and long-lasting light sources provide more than 50,000 hours of DCI-specified onscreen brightness. With the most expansive colour gamut of any projection technology - delivering greater than 95% of the Rec. 2020 colour space - and superior contrast ratio, visuals are more vibrant, and every detail is clearer than ever to enable the ultimate visually immersive experiences on a PLF screen.

Cinionic Debuts New Barco Laser Projector for Post-Production

Technology Summit in Hollywood.

Part of the company's award-winning Barco Series 4 laser family, the Barco Series 4 SP4K-P is the first laser projector developed exclusively to meet the unique needs of the postproduction community.

Today, Laser Projection by Cinionic powers over 35,000 theaters around the world. Since the launch of laser technology for cinema in 2014, it has become the leading global standard for cinema presentation. With the new Barco Series 4 SP4K-P, Cinionic introduces new tools to create content that enriches both the movies and the moviegoing experience when presented in laser. The Barco Series 4 SP4K-P builds on the legacy of the Barco DP4K-P, delivering the colour gamut and contrast needed to bring a studio's creative vision to life in today's laser-powered cinemas. The Series 4 model combines the power of laser projection with specialised software for more streamlined editing workflows and xenon-look capability to ensure image consistency across in-theatre projection technology. The new Barco Series 4 SP4K-P makes it possible to grade for both laser and xenon presentation with one projector, supporting the needs of creative professionals during the ongoing transition to laser.

"Laser by Cinionic is the new standard for cinema and the global footprint of laser-powered theatres continues to grow rapidly," says Wim Buyens, CEO, Cinionic. "As a dedicated cinema company, Cinionic is committed to elevating the moviegoing experience throughout the theatrical ecosystem. The latest

Cinionic, a Barco company and global leader in laser cinema technology, debuted a new Barco laser projector designed specifically for postproduction today in a special first-look demo at the SMPTE 2023 Media December 2023 - February 2024 TW-17

addition to Cinionic's laser portfolio, the Barco Series 4 SP4K-P, combines our decades of expertise in movie presentation with the power of laser to ensure that what an audience sees onscreen matches the creative vision and ambition." The Barco SP4K-P design is tailored to the needs of the post-production industry, incorporating features that enable unparalleled laser image craftmanship, including REC2020 colour gamut, 5000:1 contrast level, and is part of an HDR grading solution. The result is a projector that retains the capabilities and quality from previous generations, while empowering filmmakers to meet the needs of tomorrow's cinemas. Today's announcement follows the recent debut of the new Cinionic Laser Screen 2.4, a high-gain cinema screen designed specifically for laser projection. Both the Laser Screen and Series 4 for post-production expand on Cinionic's dedication to the longterm success of theatrical distribution with innovations that deliver elevated cinema quality from content creation to the screen.

IMAX - GSC Expand Partnership in Malaysia Golden Screen Cinemas (GSC) and IMAX Corporation recently announced an expansion of their partnership with an agreement for six state-of-the-art IMAX with Laser systems in Malaysia. The agreement will see five new locations, including one in the heart of Kuala Lumpur and one upgrade to the Southkey Megamall, Johor Bahru. Under the new agreement, IMAX has now completed deals in 2023 for 13 new and upgraded systems across Malaysia - more than any international market worldwide. IMAX and GSC,

TW-18 December 2023 - February 2024

the leading cinema exhibitor in Malaysia, have enjoyed a successful partnership since 2019. This deal will bring the total number of IMAX locations with GSC to nine, all of which will now feature best-in-class IMAX with Laser systems by 2027.

Malaysia is a fast-growing market for IMAX, consistently ranking among the top 25 global markets for IMAX box office despite having only 11 IMAX locations currently in operation.

The growth has spurred IMAX to move further into local films in Malaysia, with the company debuting its first Malaysia release, 'Malbatt: Misi Bakara' in August 2023. Christopher Nolan's 'Oppenheimer' became the number two all-time release in Malaysia, with James Cameron's 'Avatar: The Way of Water' holding the number one all-time box office position in the market.

The six new and upgraded locations for GSC will be equipped with IMAX with Laser, IMAX's most advanced theatre experience. IMAX with Laser is immersive by design, developed from the ground-up to deliver crystal clear, lifelike images and precision audio for a moviegoing experience unlike anything else. The groundbreaking 4K laser projection system features a new optical engine, custom designed lenses, and a suite of proprietary technology that delivers brighter images with increased resolution, deeper contrast, and the widest range of colours exclusively to IMAX screens.

IMAX - EVT Ink Deal in Sydney Just weeks after IMAX Sydney in Darling Harbour opened its doors, EVT and IMAX have announced they will integrate another IMAX screen experience into an Event Cinemas location in Sydney. The agreement is part of a broader deal between the

two companies, which will see EVT also integrate four IMAX screens into CineStar locations in Germany.

Inclusive of this deal, EVT will operate nine IMAX locations worldwide. The five new locations will include Laser by IMAX technology, with EVT's seating experience.

IMAX Sydney, is currently the highest grossing IMAX location worldwide outside of the US and UK, having made a reported USD 559,000 in just its first two weeks. The 325-seat cinema boasts the third-largest screen in the world at 693 square metres, and features four seating concepts: standard; full recliners in premium locations within the auditorium; couple's recliners, complete with privacy shrouds, and a private box for groups up to four, featuring service to seat, an exclusive food and beverage menu, seating space and an elevated platform.

"Expanding our collaboration with IMAX aligns to our strategy of providing customers with choice on how they want to watch a movie. The right combination of our proprietary cinema experiences such as Gold Class, Boutique and V-Max alongside Global Premium Formats like IMAX is proving to be successful," said Jane Hastings, Chief Executive Officer, EVT. In Australia recently for IMAX Sydney's official opening party in October and the Australian International Movie Convention, Gelfond told the Australian Financial Review the company hopes build a further 38 screens in Australia over the next few years.

IMAX first opened in Sydney in 1996 and operated for 20 years before the site was demolished for the build of The Ribbon building, where the new IMAX Sydney is now housed. IMAX Melbourne is the only other current location in Australia. It is owned by and part of Museums Victoria.

Martin Scorsese Urges Young Filmmakers to Reinvent Cinema in Streaming Age Martin Charles Scorsese, the American Filmmaker and Actor said the entertainment industry is in a 'Period of Reinventing' cinema during his Screen Talk at the BFI London Film Festival recently, urging young filmmakers to use new technology for good as opposed to making 'content'.

When asked by Director Edgar Wright about becoming somewhat of a spokesperson for the current state of cinema, Scorsese laughed and said, "I didn't want to be the last line of defence."

"I honestly think it's thrown back now with all of you. And I really mean this: I don't know where cinema is going to go," Scorsese continued. "Why does it have to be the same as it was for the past 90-100 years? It doesn't.

Do we prefer films from the last 90-100 years? I do, but I'm old.

Younger people are going to see the world around them in a different way, you're going to see it fragmented...

What does one shot mean now?

I don't know anymore. I don't think it means anything... You all are in the process of a period of reinventing it.

It's quite an extraordinary time, and a lot of it has to do with the technology."

Scorsese said that, “Though with that new technology comes more freedom, it should also cause young filmmakers

to rethink what you want to say and how you want to say it." He added, "Ideally, I hope - I hesitate to use the word - 'serious' film could still be made with this new technology and this new world we're a part of."

Recalling his love of going to movie theatres as a child, Scorsese also wants these more ‘serious’ films to make a comeback at theatres.

"I'm afraid the franchise films will be taking over the theatres," he said.

"I always ask the theatre owners to create a space where younger people would say they want to see this new film, which is not a franchise film, in a theatre and share that with everybody around them. So that they want to go to the theatre, that it's something inviting that doesn't get them to say they could see it at home. Because the experience of seeing a film with a lot of people is really still the key, I think. But I'm not sure that can be easily achieved at this point." When Wright asked about the rise of filmmakers being seen as ‘content providers,’ Scorsese joked that "Content is something you eat and you throw away," adding: "But if you want to have an experience which can enrich your life, it's different."

Scorsese is at London Film Festival promoting his latest film, Killers of the Flower Moon, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert De Niro and Lily Gladstone. The epic Western drama had its world premiere at Cannes earlier this year, and has since been playing the festival circuit. Based on the book of the same name by David Grann, Killers of the Flower Moon follows the government's investigation into the mysterious murders of members of the Osage tribe in Oklahoma during the 1920s.

Sharp/NEC Announces Digital Cinema Projector with 14,000 Lumens Brightness Sharp/NEC has released the NC1503L digital cinema projector with a monster 14,000 lumens of brightness. It is designed for business applications like small booth cinemas.

The portable projector has an RBI light source with an expected life cycle of up to 50,000 hours. The new Sharp/NEC portable NC1503L projector is significantly maintenancefree thanks to its efficient lamp architecture. It uses the 3-chip DLP Cinema technology and is capable of projecting images up to 17 metres wide. The projector has a DCI 2K native resolution of 2048 x 1080 pixels and a 1600:1 contrast ratio.

The motorised zoom, autofocus, and shift tools help to deliver perfect images for the projector. As per its lifetime, you can use the gadget for more than 10 years on an average of 14 hours daily use. The Sharp/NEC NC1503L digital cinema projector is less noisy than earlier models with its 50dB fan noise. This means the gadget can operate quietly in a location while also using less power.

Connectivity options for the projector include HDMI, USB 2.0, USB 3.0, and RJ45. The projector has dimensions of 27.6 x 11.3 x 32.0 inches and weighs 68kg. It can be installed on the floor or ceiling, underscoring its versatility.

Sharp/NEC Display says the new digital cinema projector will enter the market. The full optics including pricing and global availability information about the NC1503L digital cinema projector are lacking at this time.

December 2023 - February 2024 TW-19

Philippines to Open First Premium Bed Cinema Manila sets up its first and most luxurious bed cinema at Uptown Bonifacio, Megaworld's flagship township in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City. The Uptown Tempur Cinema is an innovative movie house made possible by a collaboration between Megaworld Cinemas, the country's pioneer of class-leading Ultra Cinemas and Tempur, a leading global manufacturer of specialised beds, pillows and mattresses. The brand-new theatre is designed to elevate the movie viewing experience like never before, with top-notch seats and seating configuration comparable to a first-class airplane cabin allowing moviegoers to sit at ease or lie down comfortably on premium Tempur beds and mattresses while watching their favourite blockbusters on the big screen. Uptown Tempur Cinema is also equipped with Dolby Atmos for superior audio technology and immersive sound quality and experience. This new movie theatre is the latest innovation to be introduced

by Megaworld Cinemas, which also pioneered the first Ultra Cinemas in the Philippines.

Lulu Group & Star Cinemas Sign Deal to Open 50 New Cinemas Across UAE Line Investments & Property, the shopping mall development, and management arm of Lulu Group International, and Star Cinemas have signed a joint venture to open 50 cinemas across the UAE. The

TW-20 December 2023 - February 2024

theatres will showcase movies in Arabic, Hindi, English and other languages. "We are expanding partnership with Star Cinemas because they are bringing all the films to GCC. It will be a good opportunity to join hands with them to operate cinemas," MA Ashraf Ali, executive director of Lulu Group International, said after signing an agreement with Star Cinemas last week. He added that over 50 cinemas will be opened by 2025 in the country.

Recently, Line Investments & Property and Star Cinema signed a deal to open 22 additional screens to the existing 76 screens operated by Stars Cinemas. The event was attended by MA Ashraf Ali, Ahmad Golchin, founder and chairman of Phars Film & Star Cinemas, and other officials. The companies said the signing of JV has put Star Cinemas as the second largest cinema operator in the UAE, based on screen count.

Under the agreement, 3 screens will be opened at Al Raha Mall, 9 screens at Al Wahda Mall, 6 screens at Al Foah Mall, and 4 screens at Barari Outlet Mall. The agreement also covers opening Stars Cinema in Dubai Silicon Oasis Mall, Sharjah Central Mall, and RAK Mall in Ras Al Khaimah. Golchin said work at Dubai Silicon Oasis would commence soon, followed by Sharjah Central and RAK Mall.

Luxembourg's First IMAX Cinema, Set to Open Luxembourg will witness the opening of its very first IMAX cinema. Film enthusiasts can immerse themselves in a new dimension of cinematic experience, enriched by cutting-edge image and sound technologies. The Kinepolis group has announced the arrival of IMAX technology at their

Kirchberg location by describing it as a 'New Experience Delivering an Unparalleled Level of Immersion'. The introduction of IMAX technology, initially announced, promises cinemagoers brighter images thanks to a ‘Personalised Screen,’ the Kinepolis Luxembourg team explains.

IMAX 4K laser projection offers ‘increased resolution, sharper images, deeper contrasts, and the widest range of colours available to filmmakers, so that viewers can enjoy the most realistic images possible,’ according to the Kinepolis group, which operates three cinemas in Luxembourg (Kirchberg, Belval, and Ciné Utopia). This visual upgrade is complemented by an improvement in sound quality, thanks to IMAX precision. The patented sound technology assures 'exceptional clarity, depth, and even distribution of perfected sound throughout the cinema'. The transformation began with the start of work in Hall 1 at Kinepolis Kirchberg, with an estimated opening in the fall. At the time, the Kinepolis group also stressed that certain films 'will be digitally remastered' for IMAX technology, to improve both the image and soundtrack.

GTC Selects LEA Amplifiers for its Immersive Auditoriums: Moving iMage Moving iMage Technologies, a leading technology and services company for cinema, Esports, stadiums, arenas and other out-of-home entertainment venues, announced the Company's new customer, Golden Ticket Cinemas (GTC) selected LEA Professional power amplifiers for its new immersive auditoriums in

Greenville, North Carolina and Greensboro, North Carolina.

"Golden Ticket Cinemas entered a growth phase as part of its postpandemic strategy, turning to MiT to help rapidly bring online three new locations," said Ben Stanton, Senior Director of Sales at MiT. "As part of this growth phase, creating an elevated experience for each demographic was required and GTC turned to MiT to engineer and deliver affordable immersive audio and laser projection solutions to wow audiences in their 'Elite' auditoriums.

We saw the combination of LEA Professional power amplifiers and laser projectors as the perfect way to help them achieve their goals in their two North Carolina locations."

Stanton continued, "We were able to effectively use LEA's Smart Power Bridge technology that doubles the power of any single channel without sacrificing channel count to affordably power low frequency and subwoofer loudspeakers in both IAB configurations while keeping the total amplifier quantity & expense to a minimum."

For GTC's Greensboro & Greenville locations President & CEO John Bloemeke's design parameters required both high power & density, with DSP (Digital Signal Processing), and feature flexibility. MiT turned to LEA Professional Connect Series amplifiers to satisfy these projects.

LEA Professional Connect Series amplifiers deliver a total of 10,000 watts and 20,000 watts of total power to Greensboro & Greenville, respectively. This performance is made possible by LEA Professional Class D 1-8 channel amplifiers that deliver 80-1500 watts per channel coupled with easy-to-use Sharkware software and a full suite of DSP controls, diagnostic telemetry, and remote cloud connection flexibility.

Second-Run Movie Theatre Opening In Old Rainbow Cinema Space Shawn Davis began working at movie theatres with the intention of one day opening his own. Today, alongside his business partner, Davis launched Moonlight Movies and set off to create the most magical cinema journey.

"We're former managers of one of the big chains," said Davis, Co-Owner of Moonlight Movies which operates drive-in movie theatres. He said that was always a fun side summer job for him, but there was always a dream of doing it full-time. "It's a pretty expensive endeavour to buy land and all that," said Davis. "So when Rainbow closed our first instinct was, well, I wonder what kind of equipment we could buy for the drive-in."

Months went by before Davis acted on that instinct to check out what was left behind at the longstanding Golden Mile second movie theatre Rainbow Cinemas. "We found out there was a big opportunity sitting there for us, so we just kind of went for it." Consequently, he and his business partner Jason Longworth decided to dive feet first into the project, resurrecting Regina's second-run movie theatre as Moonlight Movies Cinemas.

While the space is under new management and a new name there are some things that remain. Like the old seats, screens and carpet. The neon displays over the concession stands, rainbow lights that illuminate a glass feature along the south side of the foyer and the old popcorn machine.

Davis said he knew the announcement would be big, but the response from Regina has been massive. Since announcing the new cinema the company says it has received more approximately 1,000 messages on Facebook ranging from people expressing their happiness to people looking for work, asking questions about hours or what kind of movies will be shown. "Sometimes you don't know what you have until you lose it." said Davis. "With the cost of everything going up, not just movies but the cost of living, I think people right now are realising how important something like the Rainbow is."

Through a social media post, the company announced a soft launch of the cinema with four screens offering films. As they get off the ground they asked their audience to be patient as screens, show timings and concessions will be limited. Tickets were priced at CAD 4.99 per person with Tuesday offering a half-price night for all customers. Davis said the operation is a small mom-and-pop.

They aren't looking to renovate and change the cinema. "We're cleaning and reopening," he said. Old standbys like Studio 7 will, hopefully, come back eventually. Davis said the projector in that theatre was sold and with the drive-in theatres, they already have established contacts with major film studios, not indie ones. "If it's not there in the beginning, that doesn't mean it won't be there."

December 2023 - February 2024 TW-21

• SPECIAL STORY •

Major Cineplex:

World's First Permanent Pet Cinema With its first pet-friendly cinema, 'i-Tail PET CINEMA', movie brand in Bangkok, Thailand, opens its doors to all pet-parents! As Major Cineplex and i-Tail Corporation have collaborated to develop this space for pet owners to bring their pets down to the cinema with them to watch a film over the weekend, TheatreWorld catches up with Visarut 'K' Poolvaraluk, Vice President, Major Cineplex Group for quick talk on the interesting partnership…

• SPECIAL STORY • Major Cineplex Group joins forces with i-Tail Corporation (ITC), the world's leading pet food producer launching the big project of the year 'i-Tail PET CINEMA', the first cinema for dog and cat lovers in Thailand.

Giving owners the opportunity to bring their four-legged friends to watch movies together on Saturdays and Sundays.

The cinema has been functional since June 2023, only at Mega Cineplex, East Ville Cineplex and Major Cinema Robinson Ratchaphruek.

The cinema was created in response to the megatrend- Pet Humanization, where people are focused on taking care of pets as if they were important members of the family. This is now a popular trend for the new generation who raise pets instead of having children and are ready to take their pets to travel and do outdoor activities together in every place.

Major Cineplex Group is more than just a cinema. It is a centre for lifestyle and entertainment that meets the needs of customers of all generations, in the meantime, making customers happy every time they come to the cinema.

Pichitchai Wongpiya, Chief Cat Officer, i-Tail Corporation Public Company, said that with the exponential growth rate of the pet market that has reached 10 billion baht and the average that pet owner's spending per person is quite high which up to 10,000 - 20,000 baht per year, resulting in related businesses growing as well. From this number, i-Tail sees a business opportunity that can respond well to the Pet Humanization trend. This is the initiative of the ‘i-Tail PET CINEMA’ project, which is considered the first project that i-Tail has built on from the pet food production business.

Furthermore, collaborating with a strong partner like Major Cineplex to create a new experience through pet-friendly cinemas will be reinforcing the company's position that takes the needs of pets as a priority (Pet Centric) and to meet the lifestyles of modern dog and cat parents who want to spend time together with their beloved pets.

Moreover, customer relationship management (CRM) marketing activities in collaboration with Major Cineplex such as i-Tail activities

"For this collaboration, we want to respond to the megatrend Pet Humanization, taking care of pets as important members of the family that are growing rapidly. Pets are not just pets anymore but it's already part of the family which is a popular trend among animal lovers. Moreover, new generation people tend to raise pets instead of having children because the modern society is smaller, being more single, having fewer children, or some families choosing to raise pets instead of children and willing to spend money to take pets out to travel outdoor activities together. Pets that have been highly popular, always occupying the top spot, must be given to dogs and cats.

– Visarut 'K' Poolvaraluk, Vice President, Major Cineplex Group December 2023 - February 2024 TW-23

• SPECIAL STORY • which organising a special screen for pet parents in all 3 branches started in June, totaling 6 shows, Vending Machine service selling pet food products under the brands i-Tail, Bellotta, Marvo and ChangeTer up to 30 products with special price promotions at all 3 branches of i-Tail PET CINEMA which support payment via QR Code in response to the trend of a cashless society and helping to facilitate pet parents who look for quality pet food outside store. 'i-Tail PET CINEMA' will be open every Saturday and Sunday and there will be one show per day with the requirement that a pet can be taken to watch the movie, only dogs and cats that aged from four months up, healthy, not aggressive, clean, odourless, received basic vaccination

Procedure to Follow Things to know before going to 'i-Tail PET CINEMA', those who wish to use the service should spare at least 30 minutes of time to prepare their pets before the movie with 3 simple steps as follows: Step One: Buying Movie Tickets - Buy movie tickets for yourself at regular prices. Special price for pets Only 99 baht each (1 pet / 1 seat) with free! 1 piece of disposable diaper for pets at the M Corner counter or box office of each movie theater to receive a code and use it to buy tickets at the E-Ticket kiosk.

Step T wo: Preparing Y our P et - After purchasing movie tickets, you can Two: Your Pet bring your pet to the prep service station before the movie. Additionally, Pet diapers must be worn every time before the movie and there will be a luggage storage zone and pet stroller service in front of the cinema.

Step Three: Enjoy the Movie - After preparing the pet successfully, pets can be taken to watch movies in the 'i-Tail PET CINEMA' on the seat of the pet that bought the movie ticket. There will be a service to borrow the Pet in Cinema bag to be placed on the chair. Pets must be kept inside the bag during the movie and there will be a sanitary pad for the pet.

Major Cineplex PLC Introduces ‘Pet Cinema’: A Purrfect Success Story In a bold and unprecedented move in the entertainment sector, Major Cineplex PLC, a leader in Thailand's cinema industry, has recently unfurled the latest chapter in its innovative journey: the ‘Pet Cinema’. An entertainment haven specifically designed for pet lovers and their furry companions, this initiative has sparked joy and excitement across the nation.

A Dream Come True for Pet Enthusiasts Pet Cinema came into being with a simple yet ground-breaking vision: To create a space where pets and their owners could come together to enjoy the magic of cinema together. From specialised screenings with pet-friendly visual and audio settings to curated events where pets can socialise

TW-24 December 2023 - February 2024

and enjoy themselves, Pet Cinema has opened up a whole new world of entertainment. i-Tail is currently the naming sponsorship of the cinema which brings additional customer from its client base.

Barks of Approval Since its grand unveiling, Pet Cinema has garnered widespread acclaim, successfully striking a chord with pet lovers and industry giants alike. The pet product companies, renowned pet healthcare establishments, and pet-friendly condominium has been both astounding and heartwarming, painting a picture of a venture that has successfully touched hearts and created unforgettable memories.

There are more than 10 companies have book Pet Cinema for their clients.

• SPECIAL STORY • according to the criteria, not more than 15 kg (including the movie bag), not in breeding season or pregnant,

diapers and in the Pet in Cinema bag for the during the movie.

Cleanliness Measures of 'i-Tail PET CINEMA' Step One: Inside the cinema, 4-6 disinfection and air cleaner machines are installed in the cinema and fully function operated throughout the movie.

Step T wo: After the movie is Two: over - there will be 1 hour time slot for cleaning cinema before the next show which is including

A Tail-Wagging Experience What sets the Pet Cinema apart is its meticulous attention to detail. Every aspect, from the ambience to the selection of movies, is carefully crafted to suit the sensitive senses of pets while providing a comfortable and enjoyable environment for their human counterparts. The space offers a range of amenities including petfriendly seating, a playground, and even a menu crafted exclusively for the furry attendees. It's a haven where joy, laughter, and barks of delight echo in harmony, making every visit a tailwagging experience. The cleanliness is also of the utmost importance with high standard cleaning machines that are normally used in hospitals have been installed and most of the big cleaning by the Cinema Staff to ensures extra cleanliness for customers in the following show.

Beyond the Silver Screen Pet Cinema is more than just a movie theatre; it is a community hub where

pet enthusiasts can come together, share experiences, and celebrate the joy of pet companionship. The venue also hosts various events, including pet birthdays, adoption drives, and educational workshops, fostering a vibrant and warm community of pet lovers. Private Group booking for birthday parties for those of the pet parents have been the key drivers of the success.

•

Vacuuming - vacuuming pet hair on the seats and inside the cinema.

•

Flea and tick repellent spray once a week.

•

Activating Ozone Generator inside the movie theater.

•

Spraying Air Freshener inside the cinema.

As Pet Cinema continues to steal the hearts of both the human and pet audience alike, it stands as a testimony to Major Cineplex PLC's innovative spirit and its commitment to bringing joy to audiences in unique and heartwarming ways.

Pet Cinema is not just a success story; it is a revolution, redefining entertainment and bringing joy to the pet community one paw, one tail, and one heart at a time.

A Future Brimming with Potential Encouraged by the wave of positivity and success, Major Cineplex PLC is now actively exploring avenues for expansion currently with three locations the next two locations that are aimed to be opened by 2024. The horizon looks promising with plans to bring the unique Pet Cinema experience to more locales, promising to spread joy and create a haven for pet owners and their furry friends nationwide.

December 2023 - February 2024 TW-25

• I N S TA L LS •

Kino International:

Berlin's Crown Jewel Gets an Upgrade

One of the united city's most pristine pieces, located on the Karl-Marx-Allee in former East Berlin, this architectural crown jewel is a protected film monument. This cinema back in the 1960's was brought to life with a new style, meant to give the viewer optimal viewing and sound experiences. Originally designed to hold around an audience of 600, the acoustic technology was developed specially catering for the cinema and story goes that it is similar to that of a recording studio… Today the cinema operated by Yorck Kinogruppe, continues to be one of the most talked about venues for the annual Berlin International Film Festival - Berlinale; bringing in filmmakers such as Tilda Swinton, Steven Spielberg, Barry Jenkins, Taika Waititi, Spike Lee and many others to premiere their films due to its ambience.

Kino International was built between 1961 and 1963 as the main premiere cinema of the GDR-German Democratic Republic. It's a free standing building in the middle of Berlin on the Karl-Marx-Allee, the main boulevard of East Berlin, used for parades and festivals. It hosted all premieres of DEFA-movies, the stateowned production company, and

TW-26 December 2023 - February 2024

plenty other events. It still is one of the most beloved premiere cinemas of the German and European arthouse film industry.

Kino International has one screening room with 551 seats, is known for its large foyer and impressive architecture. The cinema chairs were renewed in 1995, but beside that its

original interior is preserved and the whole building is under monumental protection.

The auditorium is equipped with a Harkness 1850m x 730m screen and projects with a Christie CP4230 projector and a Dolby CP750 processor. Sound is delivered by front JBL 3732 speakers, Sub in

• I N S TA L LS • KCS, C-218A and Surround JBL 3677 speakers. The seats are by Kamphoehner and the auditorium is carpeted with Velor carpets. Their main concession supplier is Heimatgut, a young German snack company that offers only organic and vegan snacks.

27 years earlier, the Kino International opened in November 1963 after a two-year construction period. The building was planned by architects Josef Kaiser and Heinz Aust, who were also responsible for the Café Moskau and the Kino Kosmos.

Waldemar Grzimek, Hubert Schiefelbein and Karl-Heinz Schamal designed the 14-part sculpture relief From the Lives of Today's People, which extends over the three windowless sides, from only two moulds.

The building has everything for ceremonial DEFA film premieres in the presence of the GDR state leadership: a separate row with extra legroom, a representation room for receptions, and even its own nuclear bomb shelter.

Countless DEFA premieres, festive balls and banquets were celebrated here. Even concerts took place in the cinema. But the people of East Berlin also flocked to the cinema away from the big premieres. DEFA classics like Solo Sunny, but also selected West

German films like Dirty Dancing, attracted more than 100,000 viewers.

international Arthouse Cinema Association.

Due to its bespoke programming and its timeless historic atmosphere, it attracts all generations of the city, the older people in the historic buildings and young people from Kreuzberg and Neukölln.

After the takeover of Yorck Kinogruppe, the seats were changed in the mid 90s. Other than that, it is pretty much all preserved in its original aesthetic.

In 1978 Georg Kloster together with three other young cineastes took over the Yorck Kino in Kreuzberg. That was the start of the Yorck Kinogruppe, a group of now 14 diverse cinemas in Berlin. Georg Kloster is still in charge of the programming of all cinemas and runs the company together with Dr Christian Bräuer, head of the German Arthouse Cinema AG Kino and president of the CICAE, the

In 2015 the facade was restored. Till then we are preparing a big renovation on the inside. Main focus is the technical infrastructure: all electric systems need to be replaced with modern tech, all the heating and most of the air conditioning as well. On the surface of the interior, the aim is to keep as much as possible to preserve the history.

It falls in the style of Bauhaus and Internationalist Modernism. Every area and room were designed as a festive and welcoming representation of not only the city, but the whole state. High and wide rooms with high quality surfaces and interior. In the screening room, every part is designed for a great movie experience from every seat.

It has a very wide screen. Today, the programming focuses on European Arthouse and ambitious mainstream movies.

And outside, on the façade, a beautiful anachronism greets guests from afar, just like almost sixty years ago: handpainted cinema posters, timeless and unique - like the International itself.

December 2023 - February 2024 TW-27

• I N S TA L LS •

Going Down the Memory Lane 1963 - The International is completed as a multifunctional venue after two years of construction and opens in November with the Soviet drama An Optimistic Tragedy.

1966 - The party leadership stages protests in front of and at the Kino International against the film Track of Stones, which it dislikes, and takes them as an opportunity to ban the film.

1980 - Solo Sunny by Konrad Wolf becomes one of the most successful films in the history of cinema with over 100,000 viewers.

1987 - As one of the few western productions besides Cabaret (1972) and Einer flog übers Cuckucksnest (1976), Dirty Dancing is also shown in the Kino International, also with over 100,000 viewers.

1989 - On the evening of the premiere of Coming Out, the first film in the GDR with a gay protagonist, the Berlin Wall falls.

TW-28 December 2023 - February 2024

1990 - While the GDR is still alive, the Kino International becomes a venue for the Berlinale for the first time, where it quite quickly becomes a permanent fixture.

1992 - The Yorck Kinogruppe takes over the house from the Bezirksfilmdirektion.

1997 - For the first time, the film series Mongay takes place at Kino International. Following on from the events of 1989, Coming Out kicks off the series. The series becomes an important attraction for the community in Berlin and is the oldest queer film series in Germany.

1999 - With Klub International, a gay party series arrives at Kino International that will become legendary in the 2000s. A few years later, a female version for the lesbian community is added.

2013 - The cinema's 50th anniversary is celebrated with a DEFA film series and technical revamp. The club era comes to an end a short time later.

2015 - Building historian Dietrich Worbs publishes his book Das Kino International in Berlin.

2018 - The facade of the Kino International is renovated in accordance with the preservation order.

2021 - After months of the Corona lockdown, the Kino leuchtet campaign took place in February 2021 to draw attention to the difficult situation of cinemas.

Kino International will kick things off with a press conference.

• INSTALLS •

VOX Cinemas:

Making a Mark in Century Corner VOX Cinemas, Majid Al Futtaim's dedicated cinema arm, has launched its tenth cinema in Riyadh at Century Corner, King Fahad Road, as it continues to extend its footprint across the Kingdom in line with Vision 2030. Apart from its cutting-edge cinema that prioritises comfort and enhanced experiences this new cinema also includes private cinema halls for the patrons to host events and enjoy. Auditoriums are equipped with IMAX with Laser technology that offer next-generation laser projection and a multi-channel sound system built to give crystal clear, lifelike visuals and precision audio for an unrivalled moviegoing experience…

VOX Century Corner is a state-of-the art cinema designed with comfort in mind and upgraded experiences unveils its newest cinematic venture in Riyadh! Centrally located at Century Corner Riyadh, a premium lifestyle destination for entertainment, this opening at Century Corner boosts VOX Cinemas' expansion strategy as it expands its footprint across the Kingdom.

The grand opening of VOX Century Corner was graced by the presence of key members of the Majid Al Futtaim Executive Leadership Team, including Ignace Lahoud, Chief Executive officer of Majid Al Futtaim Entertainment, Anmar Al Qurashi, Country Head for Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, Majid Al Futtaim Entertainment, and Khalid Al Ajmi,

TW-30 December 2023 - February 2024

Country Head for Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, and Kuwait, Majid Al Futtaim Properties.

True to being a premium lifestyle destination, the 10-screen cinema features five standard auditoriums, each equipped with reclining seats to elevate comfort, and signature concepts such as 'THEATRE', a luxurious setting where guests can savour gourmet food. Additionally, a 10-seater Private Cinema is available, perfect for social gatherings and family entertainment.

The biggest blockbusters deserve the biggest screen and IMAX with Laser technology provides next generation laser projection and multi-channel sound system developed from the ground-up to deliver crystal clear,

lifelike images and precision audio for an unrivalled moviegoing experience.

Guests can also choose from a wide selection of cinema snacks at the Candy Bar. "Today marks a major milestone as we open our tenth cinema in Riyadh and 16th cinema in Saudi Arabia. This is even more extraordinary given that the industry only opened up five years ago, and demonstrates our commitment to make entertainment accessible to communities across the Kingdom in line with Vision 2030," said Ignace Lahoud, Chief Executive,

• I N S TA L LS •

Majid Al Futtaim Entertainment. He added, "Since entering the Saudi market, VOX Cinemas has differentiated itself from competitors with a customer-focused and innovative approach. Having listened to our guests, we understand how important comfort is to the overall moviegoing experience, and we are proud to be the first exhibitor to introduce reclining seating in our Standard auditoriums so audiences can kick back and enjoy unmatched comfort."

VOX Cinemas now has a total of 164 screens across 16 movie

theatres in six cities across the Kingdom. It also operates the cinema at the recently-opened VIA Riyadh, which is considered one of the most luxurious cinemas in the world.

Renaissance Theatres presented by VOX Cinemas features seven private auditoriums, each with distinctive themes and designs such as Orient Express, a retro-style theatre with vintage sofas, armchairs and recliners, double lounge beds and Lazy Boy seats.

Founded in 1992, Majid Al Futtaim is a diversified lifestyle conglomerate spanning 16 countries across the

Middle East, Africa and Asia. The company employs 46,000 people representing 114 nationalities and welcomes 600 million customers to its shopping malls, communities, retail and entertainment destinations each year.

With owned assets valued at USD 18 billion, Majid Al Futtaim has the highest credit rating (BBB) among privately-held corporates in the region. The company is committed to becoming Net Positive in water and carbon by 2040.

December 2023 - February 2024 TW-31

• INSTALLS •

Golden Screen Cinemas:

The Largest Cinema in Malaysia

Striving towards the vision of offering immersive cinematic experiences to moviegoers, Malaysia saw the launch of the largest cinema on its grounds with a combined total of 26 screens, and home to a 360-entertainment hub. With the latest on-screen technologies offering all movie formats, movie-enthusiasts are spoiled for choice with Malaysia's first IMAX with Laser Hall, 4DX, D-BOX, Screen X, BIG, and Dolby Atmos. It's a complete experience where moviegoers can purchase their favourite movie memorabilia at keepsake.

Driven by innovation, Golden Screen Cinemas (GSC) is committed to continuously providing refreshed cinematic experiences to our moviegoers, ensuring they are excited each time they step foot into any one of our 55 locations, to-date.

Showcasing Strength in Numbers 2023 has been positive, marking many milestones for GSC, with the launch of 5 new and upcoming cinema locations nationwide including GSC IOI Mall Kulai, Johor GSC IOI City Mall 2 (East) and GSC LaLaport Bukit Bintang City Centre. Beyond that, we will see the launch of more locations, with the introduction of fresh, exciting concepts by year-end, and by Q1 2024 including Velvet - our new boutique cinema, and Aurum TRX, our ultra-luxe cinema, offering an

TW-32 December 2023 - February 2024

elevated entertainment experience, celebrating the start of the new year on a bright note.

Beyond just the movies, GSC offers something for everyone, with end-toend lifestyle experiences for all to enjoy, reflected across our new cinemas at GSC IOI City Mall 2 (East) and GSC LaLaport Bukit Bintang City Centre earlier this year.

Launching the Largest Aligned with our vision of offering immersive cinematic experiences to moviegoers, GSC IOI City Mall 2 (East) saw the launch of the biggest cinema in Malaysia, with a combined total of 26 screens, and home to a 360-entertainment hub. GSC IOI City Mall 2 (East) is every moviegoer's dream, equipped with the latest on-

• I N S TA L LS • screen technologies offering all movie formats, where movie-enthusiasts are spoiled for choice with Malaysia's first IMAX with Laser Hall, 4DX, D-BOX, Screen X, BIG, and Dolby Atmos.

It's a complete experience where movie-goers can purchase their favourite movie memorabilia at Keepsake. GSC IOI City Mall 2 is also home to the largest PlayPark, a familyfriendly cinema hall where little ones can run, play and jump without distractions and an adjoining play area for kids to have fun. Best for kids aged 6 - 12 years, GSC PlayPark is fully equipped with every kid's dream a play area complete with the all-time favourite Popcorn Tower, where kids can embark on their own fun adventure before or after movies.

More than that, a ball-pit, 'Soda Can' climbing tube, and a reading corner is also awaits the little ones at GSC PlayPark! Further, making it a convenient experience for parents to bring their little ones to have fun, GSC PlayPark is fully furnished with changing facilities, a breast-feeding room, complete with washrooms designed specifically for kids!

Part of the cinema premises includes GSC's very own café, Happy Food Co, located at GSC IOI City Mall 2 (East), marking its first foray in Klang Valley. Serving up addictive milkshakes and scrumptious bites set to make your day brighter, cinemagoers have the choice of bringing their favourite dishes or satisfy their milkshake

cravings from Happy Food Co. whilst enjoying their movies.

Introducing the Prettiest Cinema in Town With no better timing, the launch of the prettiest cinema in town at GSC LaLaport Bukit Bintang City Centre was celebrated together with the premiere of summer blockbuster,

Barbie. Painting the town pink, GSC LaLaport is an 'Instagrammable Cinema’, complete with pastel blue and pink interior, down to brassdetailing throughout. True to its name, the prettiest cinema in town is decked with picturesque corners including swings, intimate seating corners and areas and colourful walls, designed for moviegoers to enjoy prior, or even after catching a movie!

With a total of 12 halls, GSC LaLaport BBCC includes key USPs screen formats such as our BIG hall and 4DX - ideal for adventure buffs to enjoy a 360 cinematic journey.

GSC LaLaport BBCC is also home to our second Happy Food Co café located in Klang Valley, serving up light bites and milkshakes.

December 2023 - February 2024 TW-33

• INSTALLS •

Cinépolis:

First of its Kind in Dubai Introducing Dubai's first and UAE's second ever property of this mega brand at the Circle Mall in Jumeirah Village Circle!

Featuring five screens, offering a premium and luxurious auditorium with a total seat capacity of 300, this cinema is equipped with reclining seats that can be adjusted, spread out across their four premium auditoriums that give guests luxury seats designed to be extra-large for improved comfort. The F&B furthermore offers a wide variety of snacks and food options served on a plate, also providing an in-seat ordering service that is available as a QR code on every seat. This new cinema is taking things to a whole new level for the moviegoers!

Circle Mall in Jumeirah Village, located between Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Road, Al Khail Road and Hessa Street is home to many families and cinephiles and 235 shops,

TW-34 December 2023 - February 2024

restaurants, and entertainment outlets spread across three luxurious floors.

The residents of Jumeirah Village are invited to a new cinematic experience with the opening of Cinépolis cinemas, the world-renowned movie exhibitorknown for offering boutique moviewatching experiences. The first Cinépolis cinema of the UAE was launched in Sharjah at Oasis Mall in 2020! This milestone signifies the second location of Cinépolis in the UAE and the first in Dubai, adding to Circle Mall's portfolio of family-friendly entertainment options.

Featuring a total of five screens, the cinema can accommodate over 300

movie enthusiasts and includes a luxury auditorium complete with adjustable recliner seats. Catering to a range of seating preferences, the cinema also houses four premium auditoriums that offer guests deluxe seats known for their extra-large size and added comfort.

Giving moviegoers the added convenience of skipping long lines at concessions counters, customers can place their snack orders from the comfort of the auditorium by scanning the QR code found on every seat.

Guests can also opt to place their orders directly from the Cinépolis app or website immediately after selecting their seats.

• I N S TA L LS • The cinema's F&B offering includes movie enthusiast favourites such as popcorn, nachos and slush, as well as hot food options including burgers, pizzas, edamame and more.

As Cinépolis prepares to raise its curtains, audiences can look forward to an immersive, luxurious and unforgettable experience. With opening promotional prices, ticket rates will vary, starting at AED 45 for deluxe seats and going up to AED 75 for Recliner seats. Customers can also take advantage of a range of other enticing promotions and exclusive deals held throughout the week.

With cinemas present in over 19 countries, Cinépolis is the third largest movie exhibitor globally in terms of screens. The opening of this latest cinema location underlines Circle Mall's commitment as a family-friendly destination, adding to its existing array of shopping, dining, and retail options.

These expansion initiatives by Cinépolis not only extends their reach to a broader audience but also contribute to the economic progress and cultural vibrancy of the UAE, aligning perfectly with the nation's continuous growth trajectory.

Cinépolis was founded in Mexico in the city of Morelia, Michoacán in 1971. Today it has positioned itself as the world's third largest movie theatre circuit, operating 895 cinema complexes, 6,868 screens and over 1,146,678 seats across 19 countries worldwide. It was the first cinema exhibitor in the world to pioneer the concept of luxury movie theatres, establishing the first luxury theatre experience in 1999 in Mexico City.

Cinépolis aspires to provide its guests with the best overall experience in film entertainment and employs a global workforce of more than 41,000 people to support its mission. Cinépolis plans to continue to revolutionize the industry for years to come.

December 2023 - February 2024 TW-35

• INSTALLS •

Marcus Ridge Cinema:

First ScreenX in Wisconsin

The cinema - a division of the Marcus Corporation, being the fourth largest circuit in the United States and currently owns or operates 993 screens at 79 locations in 17 states under the Marcus Theatres, Movie Tavern

by Marcus and BistroPlex brands. Now unveiling world's first multi-projection cinema that expands specially curated sequences of a film onto the left-side and right-side walls of the auditorium in the 25th largest midwestern U.S. state in the world featuring 108 recliners and 4 designated wheelchair spaces along with a 45-foot wide screen …

Marcus Theatres unveiled Wisconsin's first ScreenX widescreen auditorium, with 270-degree projection providing one of the most visually immersive movie experiences available. The new ScreenX auditorium is located at Marcus' Ridge Cinema, 5200 S. Moorland Road, New Berlin. The first new release that played in the format

will be The Creator, a sci-fi action fantasy starring John David Washington post which released in theatres around September this year.

"This is built for the more visually spectacular film," Greg Marcus, Chairman, President, and CEO of Marcus Theatres parent Marcus said.

Marcus Ridge Cinema's ScreenX auditorium features 108 recliners and four designated wheelchair spaces along with a 45-foot wide screen.

"Unlike other formats, an expandedscreen theatrical format that uses dual projection to create an enhanced image, ScreenX projects specially selected sequences of a film onto the left- and right-hand side walls of the auditorium, wrapping the image around the audience", Duncan Macdonald, Head of Worldwide Marketing And Theatre DevelopmentAmericas for ScreenX developer CJ 4DPLEX, said at the Marcus Ridge.

ScreenX is the world's first multiprojection cinema that expands specially selected sequences of a film onto the left-side and right-side walls of the auditorium. The 270-degree, panoramic field of view draws audiences into the story and immerses them in a virtual reality-like setting with cinema quality resolution. This marks the second CJ 4DPLEX location for Marcus Theatres, with the first being the multi-sensory 4DX format at Marcus Gurnee Mills Cinema in Gurnee, Illinois.

A team of visual effects artists' work with studios to adapt footage for the three-projector experience, Macdonald said, but not for the entire movie. In most movies, about

"We're honoured to continue our partnership with Marcus Theatres and bring the immersive cinematic experience of ScreenX to even more audiences. The addition of the Marcus Ridge Cinema ScreenX auditorium marks a significant milestone in our collaboration, and we couldn't be more excited about it."

– JongRyul Kim, Chief Executive Officer, CJ 4DPLEX

TW-36 December 2023 - February 2024

• I N S TA L LS • "CJ 4DPLEX has been an exceptional partner for us, and we are delighted to expand our collaboration with the introduction of ScreenX at our Marcus Ridge Cinema location. This addition allows us to bring the magic of ScreenX technology to our Marcus Theatres guests, enhancing their moviewatching experience with 270-degree, panoramic views."

– Gregory S. Marcus, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, The Marcus Corporation ‘

50 minutes of content is adapted to the wrap-around treatment, focusing on ‘scenes selected to maximise the experience,’ he said.

The launch at the Ridge included a screening of Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning Part 1 in the ScreenX format. Other summer movies adapted to the format include The Flash, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 and Fast X. The format also has been used for several concert movies, although not unfortunately, Greg Marcus added for what's likely to be the biggest bigscreen concert movie in years, Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour.

"About 17 movies in all are planned for release in the ScreenX format this year," Marcus said, "with another 20 expected next year." For comparison, there were only a handful of movies shown in Cinerama, Hollywood's highest-profile foray into widescreen projection in the 1950s.

Cinerama used a three-camera process, projecting a 142-degree image. "I guess what's old is new," Marcus said. "They've been working on extended projection for years, and this is the newest iteration in a way that works with today's ... movie theatres."

CJ 4DPLEX is a leading, nextgeneration cinema technology company, headquartered in Seoul with international offices in Los Angeles and Beijing. The company has created innovative film technologies for theaters worldwide that include 'ScreenX', '4DX', and '4DX Screen' for consumers to experience films in ways that were never before possible.

The brand is a part of the CJ Group conglomerate that also includes entertainment powerhouses CJ CGV, the fifth largest theatre chain in the world, and CJ ENM (CJ Entertainment & Media), who produced the Academy Award, Golden Globe and SAG Awards winning film, 'Parasite'.

CJ 4DPLEX, which launched ScreenX in 2012, has several other enhancedformat systems for theatres. The ScreenX format is on more than 360 screens in 37 countries; among the U.S. locations is B&B Theatres' Bloomington 13 at the Mall of America in Minnesota.

Milwaukee's no stranger to wraparound visual entertainment. In the 19th century, Milwaukee artists became known nationwide for their detailed paintings for cycloramas, 360-degree depictions of scenes from history and legend. One of the Milwaukee-created cycloramas still on display is the painting of the Civil War Battle of Atlanta at the Atlanta History Centre.

December 2023 - February 2024 TW-37

• INSTALLS •

Cineroyale:

The Cinematic Oasis in Nepalgunj

Hold onto your popcorn folks, because Nepalgunj, the buzzing city on the rise, is about to experience a silver screen revolution like never before. A cinephile's paradise that's set to rewrite the rules of cinema in style. Imagine being surrounded by soundscapes that whisk you into the movie's world… And that's just the start!

The Mastermind Dr Rahul Thapa, a visionary who turned the cinema theatre magic into a mesmerising luxury reality in Nepal.

As Nepalgunj, nestled near the Indian border, emerges as a hotspot for entertainment, Rahul recognised the hunger for a bigger, better and more immersive cinematic experience. His mission? To give you a taste of extraordinary.

The Sensory Symphony Cineroyale isn't just another movie theatre; it's the temple of cinematic sensations. At the heart of this

sensory extravaganza is Nepal's first JBL Dolby Atmos Sound System.

Imagine being surrounded by

"Cineroyale is set to offer an extraordinary cinema experience, filling a void and becoming a cherished leisure destination for residents and visitors alike."

– Dr Rahul Thapa, Managing Director, Cineroyale

soundscapes that whisk you into the movie's world. And that's just the start. The Barco projection system, boasting an awe-inspiring 20,000 lumens, ensures that every scene on that silver screen pops with dazzling brilliance. Whether it's colour accuracy, 3D visuals, or image quality, Cineroyale takes movie magic to the next level.

Behind the Curtains But wait, there's more! Behind the scenes, the wizardry continues with the GDC Theatre Management

TW-38 December 2023 - February 2024

• I N S TA L LS • System. This cutting-edge marvel streamlines the show, making every part of your cinematic journey more seamless and enjoyable. Picture this: centralised control over the cineplex, faster performance, single-point screen monitoring, and even remote access via the TmsAware App. It's like having a backstage pass to the ultimate show.

FACTFILE Architect:

ERA Architects

Server Integrator:

Qube Cinema

Projection:

Barco

Sound:

Dolby Atmos

Speakers:

JBL

Screen:

Galalite Mirage 3.2 Prizm 3D Silver Screen

3D System

Get D Triple Beam 3D System

Seating:

Seating Spectrum, Malasiya

Lighting:

Philips India

A Visual Odyssey

Carpets:

Welspun, India

And the experience doesn't stop at the screen. Cineroyale's auditoriums boast Galalite Mirage 3.2 screens, guaranteeing one a 3D adventure that'll leave one breathless. Even 2D movies are a visual feast thanks to those silver screens. Comfort? It's not just a word; it's a promise.

Spectrum seating chairs, straight from Malaysia, are at your service, and guess what? The middle section of each row has not one, not two, but 18 recliners. Total luxury, right?

Acoustical Materials:

Saint-Gobain

Taste the Extravagance But it's not just about ones eyes and ears; it's about savouring ones taste buds too. Cineroyale elevates the snacking game with gourmet popcorn sporting a delectable caramel coating.

And when hunger strikes, one can dive into a world of culinary delights whipped up right there in-house from an eco-friendly electric kitchen. It's a culinary journey paired with a cinematic masterpiece.

HVAC:

Samsung

Concession:

Gold medal/Kitchenrama

TMS

GDC Technology

Safety First, Always Safety isn't just a priority at Cineroyale; it's the red-carpet welcome. International safety standards are strictly followed around with fireproof carpets, strategically placed fire detectors, and ready-tospring sprinkler systems. The patron’s safety is paramount, and every detail is meticulously designed to ensure their peace of mind.

Cineroyale has set a new benchmark for movie theatres in Nepalgunj, turning every movie night into a starstudded affair. It's not just a cinema; it's a place that marries cutting-edge technology, luxury, and community spirit. Rahul's vision goes beyond entertainment; it modernises lifestyles, bridges gaps in underdeveloped cities, and contributes to the

community's entertainment needs and the nation's economic growth. And here's the kicker: it's not just for locals; it's a siren call to audiences from Nepal and India, fueling the growth of the tourism sector.

The anticipation for the first-of-its-kind theatre in Nepalgunj has been nothing short of spectacular. Cineroyale has shattered all expectations and is gearing up to redefine the essence of watching movies. It's an experience that transcends the ordinary, and one can hardly contain his excitement.

Cineroyale is not just a cinema; it's a symbol of excellence and a revolution in Nepalgunj's entertainment scene.

Get ready to be swept off your feet because Cineroyale is where dreams come to life, and the silver screen becomes your portal to enchantment.

December 2023 - February 2024 TW-39

• TECHNOLOGY •

MovieLand:

Retelling Tales in Ukraine

Amidst the ongoing chaos, the cinema world brings light to Ukraine's darkest clouds... Located in the heart of Ivano-Frankivsk, Ukraine, is a 7-screen cinema known for its commitment to providing the ultimate cinematic experience.

Partnering with leading technology providers, MovieLand ensures that every visit is a journey into the world of storytelling and visual delight.

Nestled in the heart of the Carpathian Mountains, Ivano-Frankivsk is a city steeped in history and culture. Its cobblestone streets wind through a beautifully preserved historic city centre, showcasing a captivating blend of architectural styles, from Baroque to Art Nouveau. The city's vibrant cultural scene, with theatres, museums, and festivals, has made it a hub for the arts.

education. MovieLand is a cinema known to and loved by many locals of

Ukraine. With their motto to deliver the best cinematic experience to their

As an academic centre, Ivano-Frankivsk boasts several universities and institutions known for their commitment to research and

"We have been working with Galalite since the company opened its branch office in the EU. Over this period, we have successfully executed numerous projects in Ukraine in partnership with Galalite.

The most recent project, MovieLand in Ivano-Frankivsk, a modern 7hall cinema, features a combination of Galalite's Prism 2.4 and Mirage 1.7 screens, paired with Sharp/NEC laser projectors. The result is nothing short of incredible, with our customers now enjoying unparalleled picture quality in our cinema."

– Andrii Nikiforov, Head of Project and Installation Department “Real Music” (representing Real Kino) TW-40 December 2023 - February 2024

• TECHNOLOGY •

The War's Eclipse: On Ukrainian Cinema Ukraine, a land rich in culture and deep history has turned the world round with its ongoing war and disastrous turmoil in the country, including the birth and destruction of civilisations, the intermingling and confrontation of nations, revolutions, cultural decline and revival. Historians have long been drawn to metaphors when describing this one territory.

Like many nations, Ukraine has had many layers to its culture. One popular amongst them is their love for expression through cinema. However since the beginning of the war in February 2014, Ukraine cinemas had come to a standstill one-by-one.

Shutting down as a form of protection and serving as an aided defence to the harsh conditions and unsafe environment of the war going on.

The Russo-Ukrainian War is an ongoing international conflict between Russia and Ukraine, which began in February 2014.

The first eight years of conflict also included naval incidents, cyberwarfare, and heightened political tensions. In February 2022, Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine and began occupying more of the country.

Nevertheless, in recent months it has been noted that cinemas have reopened for the general public once again and surprisingly box office numbers have exceeded those from the pre-war time. According to sources from Rolling Stone, this came as a surprise to many civilians as Ukraine endured many days of shelling from the Russian invasion. The unfortunate part is that out of

200 existing cinemas, 125 were back online as of May and were mostly located in Western and Central Ukraine. Only 20 percent of the country's cinemas are located in combat zones and will remain closed indefinitely.

According to source, Ukraine's two largest movie chains, Multiplex and Planeta Kino, have cinemas in a few key cities, though several have been destroyed by the war and cannot be restored. Additionally, new film titles are only being released progressively. The return on cinema is part of the gradual normalisation of life in sections of Ukraine where the Russian invasion either failed (Kyiv area) or where distant rocket attacks were carried out (Lviv).

December 2023 - February 2024 TW-41

• TECHNOLOGY •

patrons, the cinema has recently collaborated with Galalite for the best-in-class screens!

Leading the way in cutting-edge cinema screen technology, Galalite, a renowned global provider of highquality projection screens, has once again left a mark on the world of cinema screens. With a rich legacy dating back to 1959, Galalite has consistently been the preferred choice for cinemas worldwide, and their latest venture in Ukraine is no exception.

Siranush Whyte, General Manager at Galalite expressed her gratitude by stating, "It's always been a pleasure to work with Real Kino, and we thank them for entrusting us with their Ukrainian projects."

Galalite's commitment to innovation and superior quality is evident in their latest collaboration. This state-of-the-

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"At Galalite, we're not just in the business of providing screens; we're dedicated to crafting cinematic experiences that leave lasting impressions. We extend our gratitude to MovieLand for trusting us to be their cinema screen partner."

– Yusuf Galabhaiwala, Managing Director, Galalite

art cinema in Ivano-Frankivsk now features a total of nine Galalite screens, comprising five Prism 3D 2.4 screens and four Mirage 1.7 screens.

The Prism 3D 2.4 screens deliver an immersive 3D experience, setting the stage for moviegoers to step into worlds beyond imagination.

Meanwhile, the Mirage 1.7 screens offer unmatched clarity and vivid visuals, enhancing the overall cinematic experience. The audio is provided by MAG Audio, and the seating is done by Figueras with recliners from Leadcom Seating. The auditorium has a total seating capacity of 1350, excluding 26 VIP seats.

• I N S TA L LS •

CINEMACITY Rahmania:

A New Wave of Entertainment in Sharjah Built and executed purely for the love and passion that the natives of the Rahmania community had towards moviegoing, the new cinema features 5 screens equipped with state-of-the-art laser projector halls including a dedicated events theatre for birthdays, parties, corporate events and much more... all equipped and designed with the highest standard of comfort and audio-visual quality. The Cinema chain comes as the latest addition to Rahmania Mall's impressive range of entertainment and will provide an exceptional cinematic experience for its customers.

In addition to its outstanding facilities, Rahmania Mall in Sharjah has announced the opening of Cinemacity complex for the public. The new facility is in partnership with Xclusive Cinemas, which specialises in cinema management to enhance integrated shopping and entertainment services for residents and visitors of Sharjah and to provide an enjoyable cinematic experience for movie lovers and fans of new shows. Xclusive Cinemas SAL is the developer of upscale cinema chains CINEMACITY and PRIME CINEMAS in the Middle East and GCC region.

From concrete to furniture, Xclusive Cinemas work from conceptualisation to operation of world class luxury cinema theatres for an unmatched moviegoing experience for people of all walks of life who share one thing Love for Cinema.

Five Luxurious Film Screens The new cinema includes five screens with a total capacity of 358 visitors,

and it is segregated into different categories, including standard seats and premium leather seats for VIPs.

Thanks to this partnership with Rahmania Mall. Both sides have worked together to provide a unique entertainment experience. Showing the latest blockbuster hits in a breathtaking atmosphere, along with access to a wide range of delicious food and beverage options, moviegoers can now enjoy their favorite movies in a cinema equipped with the most comfortable seating there is to offer paired with the latest audio-visual technology. Xclusive Cinemas aims at giving Sharjah a new favourite cinema experience, at Cinemacity.

– Hammad Atassi, Chief Executive Officer, Cinemacity

December 2023 - February 2024 TW-43

• I N S TA L LS • The screens boast the highest standards of sound and image quality, creating an exciting entertainment atmosphere for viewers to enjoy in the company of friends and family of all ages and nationalities.

The upper rows include regular and premium leather seats allocated for VIPs. Each premium seat is equipped with a lamp, and guests can choose from a menu while they enjoy watching the films.

A Full International Menu To enhance the cinematic experience, cinema visitors will enjoy a full and luxurious international menu inside the theatres, with a wide choice of hot and cold drinks, snacks and flavoursome foods that cater to all tastes. The cinema halls are located directly near entrance C of Rahmania Mall, allowing visitors to park their vehicles in the designated parking lots near the entrance and enjoy quick access to the cinema. Visitors can also leave their vehicles for inspection and registration at 'Tasjeel' centre,

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Cinemacity was only approached to design and build their cinema halls following the malls initial opening, with no initial intention for a cinema in the malls original plans, creating a challenging and exciting opportunity for Cinemacity's experienced and talented team of architects and engineers, through creative and clever spatial design, to build 5 world-class bespoke cinema halls for the Rahmania area of the Sharjah Emirate. The cinema allows to enjoy the latest blockbuster released in a perfect cinematic atmosphere. Five theatres with the capacity to seat 376 people with 3 different seating categories in each theatre: Deluxe class, Club Class, and VIP class with full-reclining European leather seats.

– Karim Atassi, Vice President, Cinemacity located at entrance C basement, while they enjoy watching a movie.

Combining Culture and Art Abdullah Al Huraimel, Executive Director of New Enterprises at

Sharjah Coop, said: "The opening of Cinemacity in Rahmania Mall, which is managed by Sharjah Coop, is an important addition to the list of brands that the mall has succeeded in attracting and supports the vision and

• INSTALLS • aspirations of the mall. Opened in March 2021 and at a construction cost of AED 400 million, the mall was the first community, marketing, and entertainment destination for the residents of the Rahmaniyah Suburb and surrounding areas. Rahmania Mall's facilities include shops, restaurants, and services to meet the needs of all visitors and shoppers.

The area extends over 58,000 square metres and occupies a strategic location in the heart of the Kshisha district, just 10 minutes from Sharjah Airport.

same time, they can experience their favourite films through the latest visual and audio technologies."

Highest Globally Approved Standards

romance, historical and war films, adventures, science fiction, among others. Films will be presented in different languages and according to age groups, and visitors can purchase tickets online or directly at the entrance to the cinemas.

A Trendsetter in Sharjah Al Huraimel stressed that the cinema sector enjoys a tremendous interest in the United Arab Emirates, with a wide variety of cinemas across all emirates.

He said cinema entertainment combines culture and art and provides film lovers with an engaging visual and audio experience to enjoy movies on huge screens with advanced technologies. He pointed out that the cinema will draw visitors to Rahmania Mall as it provides an exceptional experience to watch the latest international cinema shows from genres such as drama, horror,

An Integrated Entertainment Experience For his part, Hammad Atassi, CEO of Xclusive Cinemas, said: "Thanks to this new partnership with Rahmania Mall, which is a successful and pioneering model for shopping and entertainment malls in the Emirate of Sharjah, we will work together to provide an integrated entertainment experience for all. We look forward to showcasing the latest movies and releases in an exciting atmosphere, offering movie lovers a wide choice of food and drinks. At the

Rahmania Mall is designed according to the highest internationally approved environmental standards. It comprises more than 50 retail stores and outlets, including family entertainment destinations, health and beauty centres, pharmacies, fitness centres, jewellery stores, and clothing and accessories outlets. It also offers famous brands alongside the best prestigious local and international restaurants, exchange shops, and spaces for children's activities and games. The mall is well known for organising various dazzling shows, national and social events, and seasonal festivals for several government agencies, private sector companies, and individuals. The mall also allocates places to provide distinguished services to community members. Rahmania Mall offers around 1,000 car parking spaces, with 400 indoors for convenience.

December 2023 - February 2024 TW-45

• TECHNOLOGY •

MJR Theatres:

State-of-the-Art Large Screen Experience MJR Theatres brings out cutting-edge technology to the all new MJR Marketplace Cinema in Sterling Heights to astound audiences. The newly renovated auditorium includes a wall-to-wall screen, a Barco 4K laser projection system, Dolby Atmos immersive sound, and Zero Gravity Heated Reclining Chairs. MJR was among the first theatres in its market to add a bar, where patrons can catch the last quarter of a big game before seeing a show or gather with friends for cocktails!

A modern multiplex cinema operator with ten locations in Michigan and over 160 screens. For over 40 years, MJR Theatees has been dedicated to providing guests throughout MetroDetroit with the ultimate moviegoing experience while providing superior customer service. MJR provides a wide range of premium amenities such as plush reclining chairs, a full-service Studio Bar & Lounge, The Epic Experience, Laser Ultra, and VIP Seats, a market-exclusive seating concept designed to enhance the theatrical experience with privacy, convenience, and luxurious comfort.

Recently MJR Theatres launched that their latest proprietary Premium Large-Screen Format (PLF) experience named Laser Ultra to the MJR Marketplace Cinema in Sterling Heights, Michigan. The completely remodelled auditorium features a wallto-wall screen, has everything in store to amaze the patrons of this cinema!

Equipped with Barco 4K Laser projection will offer a superior image, with exceptional brightness levels, an increased contrast ratio and vivid colours for a radically improved viewing experience. The cinemas are also built with Dolby Atmos that will

TW-46 December 2023 - February 2024

give moviegoers the experience of multi-dimensional sound and pinpoint clarity from speakers wrapping around the entire auditorium, including the ceiling, which collectively creates an immersive soundscape that sounds closer to real life.

The sound is crisp and praiseworthy, directed through nearly 40 channels to bring on the rain, screams, and all of the background noises that might appear in a scene without distorting the characters' narration.

Additionally, the Laser Ultra auditorium includes two rows of VIP Seats, which feature premium heated reclining chairs, two convenient side tables, storage compartments for personal belongings, coat hooks, and a surrounding privacy enclosure designed to provide additional personal space and comfort.

MJR was among the first theatres in its market to add a bar, where patrons can catch the last quarter of a big game before seeing a show or gather with friends for cocktails inspired by blockbuster movies like Barbie's Pink Dream or Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Minds Eternal Sunshine of the Watermelon Lime.

This summer audiences attending MJR theatres will see several new food items added to the line up along with movie merchandise!

"We are looking forward to bringing Laser Ultra to Macomb County. We first debuted this experience last year at our MJR Brighton Cinema and the feedback we've received has been tremendous," said Joel Kincaid, the Vice President of Operations for MJR Theatres. "Continuing our tradition of innovation, our newest Laser Ultra in Sterling Heights will be piloting a new concept, the 'Premium Sofa Lounger,' a heated loveseat recliner designed to enhance the viewing experience for those near the front of the auditorium and provide a unique product that doesn't exist in this market."

MJR Theatres began in the early 1980s with the acquisition of the Main Art Theatre in Royal Oak, Michigan.

The chain took its name from its original slogan, 'Movies Just Right'.

MJR's current slogan is 'It's More Fun at MJR', as heard on its advertising jingle which appears in the beloved policy trailer.

During the 1990s, MJR would begin building more Multiplex cinemas,

• TECHNOLOGY • including the Adrian Cinema in 1990, the Chesterfield Cinema in 1995, and soon after the Waterford Cinema in 1996. In order to help finance the new cinemas, MJR sold some of its existing theatres, including the Main Art Theatre in Royal Oak, the Livonia Mall Cinemas and a drive-in in Monroe. Open in 1998, the Southgate Cinema 20 was the chain's first megaplex, followed by the Brighton Cinema 20 in 2001, which had opened with 16 screens, and the Marketplace Cinema 20 in Sterling Heights, Michigan in 2005.

The MJR expansion continued with the 14-screen Partridge Creek Cinema in Clinton Township, Michigan, which opened in 2007, and the 16-screen Westland Grand Cinema, in 2011.

In December 2013, MJR announced its first Studio Bar and Lounge, to be built adjacent to the lobby at its Marketplace location in Sterling Heights. As of 2019, the MJR Studio Bar and Lounge is now featured in all of the 10 locations, offering a diverse array of cocktails, beer, and wine.

The 16-screen Troy Grand Digital Cinema opened in 2014, along with MJR's first PLF (Premium LargeScreen Format) auditorium, aptly titled the EPIC Experience.

The EPIC Experience at the Troy location features one of the largest cinema screens in Michigan, measuring 43' tall and 80' wide. The EPIC Experience also includes 4K projection and Dolby Atmos sound.

Soon after, an EPIC Experience auditorium was added to the Southgate Cinema location.

MJR's newest location, the 16-screen Universal Grand Digital Cinema opened in 2017 at 12 Mile & Dequindre in Warren, MI.

In 2022, MJR debuted VIP Seats, an exclusive seating concept designed to bring privacy, convenience, and luxurious comfort to the theatrical experience. Consisting of two-tothree seat pods, VIP Seats feature premium heated reclining chairs, two convenient side tables, storage compartments for personal belongings, coat hooks, and a surrounding privacy enclosure designed to provide additional personal space.

Also in 2022, MJR opened its second PLF experience, titled Laser Ultra, at the Brighton Cinema location. This state-of-the-art auditorium features a Barco 4K Laser projection system, immersive Dolby Atmos sound, and zero gravity heated reclining chairs throughout. When combined, these features provide the ultimate theatrical experience in sight, sound, and comfort. Based on the overwhelming positive response, in 2023 MJR expanded Laser Ultra to the Marketplace Cinema location.

Joel Kincaid, Vice President of Operations for MJR Theatres

December 2023 - February 2024 TW-47

• TECHNOLOGY •

IMAX:

Makes A Grand Opening in Sydney!

A project that first began in 2016, has now launched and introduces Sydney's IMAX displaying films on a massive 692m2 screen - One of the World's Largest and uses new laser technology for the best movie experience! Including a self-service marketplace where customers can purchase tickets and snacks, and a bar where customers can have a cocktail or two before a film! This cinema is bringing in the movie fanatics with a promise to teleport into a different world altogether with their best-in-class technology and luxurious theatres to provide comfort like no other.

Massive screen, massive occasion, and massive movies: that's the equation when IMAX Sydney reopens its doors after a seven-year absence.

IMAX Sydney amazes the world by taking one of the biggest cinema screens in the world, which measures 692 square metres! Causing many eyes to widen as they comeback with films like Avatar: The Way of Water, Barbie, Oppenhiemer and Taylor Swift's Eras concert tour!

Trips to the movies in Sydney are getting huge again, with the Darling Harbour venue reopening in its newly rebuilt form after closing down

TW-48 December 2023 - February 2024

back in 2016. The entire building was demolished, and was originally meant to get its projectors running again in 2019, then in 2021; however, due to many delays and setbacks, this was incomplete. Giant things come to cinemagoers who wait, so it seems.

The size of the screen would be enough to take one's breath away.

Richard Gelfond, CEO, IMAX Corp

However, it's not quite as big as IMAX Melbourne, which is the world's largest, but it's still mammoth. And, it sports a 1.43 picture ratio, which means giving viewers up to 40-per cent more image. Cue more need for speed when Top Gun: Maverick graces the screen during the venue's opening week, more of Barbie's pink hues and Oppenheimer's tension (including in perfectly timed Barbenheimer trend), more humans battling AI in The Creator, and more of one of the world's biggest pop stars onstage for fans of the pop singer, Taylor Swift, to enjoy.

The new IMAX Sydney's setup is also IMAX's most-advanced theatre

• TECHNOLOGY •

experience so far, spanning 4K laser projection using a system with a new optical engine and custom-designed lenses. Thanks to a range of proprietary technology, viewers can expect the images to be brighter, too, with increased resolution, deeper contrast and the widest range of colours that IMAX has seen. As for the sound, that's being piped through a 12-channel setup.

At a site run by EVT - the hospitality company behind Event Cinemas, Moonlight Cinema, the Skyline Drive-In and the State Theatre; the arrival of surround-screen viewing Down Under; a heap of bars and restaurants;

QT Hotels, Rydges and other hotel chains; plus IMAX venues in Auckland and Queensgate in New Zealand, as well as IMAX Karlsruhe in Germany moviegoers have four choices when it comes to seating. In addition to standard seats, you can get comfortable in a full recliner, cosy up with your plus one in a couples' recliner or go with a private box for up

to four people. The latter is perched on an elevated platform, and comes with exclusive food and beverage options.

There's 430 seats in total, on par with the old venue. There are standard seats, full recliner seats, couples seats, and two rather fancy private boxes. Located at the back of the cinema, the private boxes each seat four people and come with reserved seating in the IMAX bar, a premium beverage on arrival, access to a ChefCurated menu with service to your seat before the movie and unlimited classic salted popcorn.

The first films that will be shown at IMAX Sydney include The Creator, Top Gun: Maverick and Avatar: The Way of Water.

Outside there's a self-service marketplace where customers can purchase tickets and snacks, and upstairs there's a bar where customers can have a cocktail or two before a film. And, the range of bites and drinks overall has scored a revamp courtesy of a marketplace experience. Before your movie starts, you can kick back in the lounge - and, December 2023 - February 2024 TW-49

of course, IMAX Sydney sports a fullservice bar.

"We are very excited to partner with EVT for our long-awaited opening of IMAX Sydney in Darling Harbour, which is historically one of our best performing locations globally and a cultural centre of this beautiful city," added Rich Gelfond, Chief Executive Officer, IMAX. "IMAX Sydney immediately joins the ranks of our flagship locations and, with its stateof-the-art IMAX technology, breathtaking design and Event Cinemas renowned cinema expertise, is a shining example of what the theatrical experience should aspire to."

Despite the delay of seven years, the IMAX theatre is a splendour to those who enjoy cinema to the fullest!

"The opening of IMAX Sydney showcases EVT's commitment to bringing world class entertainment experiences to Australia. With Laser by IMAX, our new seating options, and our food and beverage offering, we are setting a new benchmark for immersive cinema entertainment that captivates the senses," – Jane Hastings, Chief Executive Officer, EVT

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REVIEW

2023 | CHENNAI

INAUGURAL CEREMONY

Keynote Address: Shri. Alok Tandon, Co-CEO, PVR INOX Crisis reveals the true identity, or the true character of the identity and I can very proudly say, that the greatness of the Indian Cinema Industry has truly gotten revealed in the last three years.

When the Great Indian Cinema market has faced numerous challenges in its 100 year old history, with the advent of colour television, satellite television, VCRs, DVDs, and various other formats, but what we went through in COVID was absolutely unimaginable. I can surely say that that was the toughest period of our entire history, but we all passed it with flying colours.

Which just goes to prove that a strong foundation on which this industry is built. Today when I look at the success

of the Indian film industry, the manner in which we all have evolved, the manner in which we all have fought back into the hearts and the minds of our

consumers and the Indian movie lovers- speaks about the greatness of this industry. Each one of us sitting in this room has played a part in it.

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Cinemas today reveal the number one out-of-home entertainment option in India and this is reflected in the fascinating numbers we have to prove that our country's population is full of millennials and genz's and today we have 65% of our population below the age of 25. The consumer segment is not only an earning well but also spending well, and this is putting India on track to become a USD 5 trillion economy. We, as a country, continue to produce about 1800 films annually in 20 different languages and that caters to diversity across India. We continue to add screens week-afterweek and month-after-month, and though we are still under schemeI am very hopeful a time will come when we have adequate screens per million population.

We all know in 2020 our cash registers stopped ringing, the revenues became zero but slowly we pulled back and in 2022 we surpassed USD 1.3 billion dollars in box office. This showcases not only the industry's resilience but also the consumer's appetite. Looking ahead, I am very hopeful that we will continue growing our revenues, if I'm right, will be anything between USD 2.3 - 2.5 billion in the next couple of years.

These numbers that we are getting at

TW-52 December 2023 - February 2024

the box office are a result of the soaring footfalls. India used to sell about 1.35 billion tickets every year before COVID. In 2020 everything went to zero. But then what happened slowly we inched our way back. In 2021, we sold 40 crore tickets, which is about 4 million tickets, but by 2022 we were at 1 billion tickets. I'm very hopeful that in the next couple of years, if not this year only, we will go back to 1.35 billion tickets if not more!

And what drives this mass hysteria?

Well for me, there is only one thing.

Which is content. And today, we have- I think we all should applaudthe content creator fraternity who make it possible to churn out good stories, movie after movie. They make compelling content and this is what's happened to the Indian film Industry despite the production chain facing challenges after COVID. So all our movies which have come out after COVID have one well. Every movie, or movies in every language have broken records and people today are thronging back to the theatres.

Technology has helped us in production, post-production, special effects, distribution, and it's helped us in exhibition. The various cinema

viewing technology like IMAX are also contributing phenomenally towards the increasing popularity of content across languages. I would say that India's linguistic diversity has opened doors to explore movies made in different languages have enabled the producers, the content creators to tap untapped market and cater to a broader audience. One thing which surprises me, and I noticed it when I joined the industry two decades back, is that we employ people from every skillset. Today, from creative minds who create the best of content to technology experts to F&B specialists, design and architectural geniuses to engineering mavericks to marketing heroes to programming masterminds, from media planners to astute real-estate champions- I think we have them all in our industry. And that's a great sign that we believe in diversity and we thrive on diversity as synergy of these varied skills. And we take pride in fostering a collaborative environment that nurtures talent and creativity. As an industry we employ lakhs of people and if I look at indirect employment, its many many times more. So today this industry is a place where people from any skillset can come and earn a living for themselves and make the industry proud.

Guests of Honour Shri. Boney Kapoor, Film Producer For me, this is the very first time I'm attending this kind of an event here in India and I'm really enlightened and happy to see the kind of growth various partners are coming up with. Well, there is a growth on all fronts and there is growth where box office is also concerned. We sure did have a dip in 2020 and 2021, 2022 onwards we've tried to leap the original numbers of box office numbers.

As I stand here today, I'm happy to convey that we are on the cusp of bigger things where Box Office is concerned. At this very point we have a blockbuster Punjabi film Carry On Jatta 3 doing a Box Office of INR 100 crores which has never had such turnovers for a Punjabi film. The good thing happening these days which I am seeing these days and I'm sure everybody also is experiencing and seeing that there is a proper integration of talent from all the industries probably coming on a film together. All in all, I feel we are in a good space.

Things would only improve from here as the numbers suggest, I have my best wishes here for all the providers here.

I am thoroughly enjoying and gathering information on what is happening in the exhibition front because exhibition happens to be the first revenue making aspect of a film for the producers. Thanks to the multiplexes which has spread all over the country the single screen theatres also have done very well- they have done immensely well in maintaining the theatres. Furthermore, this just shows it is not just about business for them, but their passion which is making them maintain the cinemas in spite of pandemics and the cinema halls getting closed for months together. They have opened up in better shape and I hope this continues.

Shri. Mukesh Bhatt, Film Producer Nice to be here on this platform dedicated just for the cinema exhibition sectorthe Big Cine Expo! Cinema is something which I have fortunately been born into, my father came into the business in 1928 when our film industry was a rather silent era. Hence, we have been a family from the silent era, to black and white to colour and now to 3D and we would like to say that we have done it all. As content providers, we have played a very important role in every path breaking journey the film industry has taken in the last five or six decades.

India is growing at a very fast pace; we need to take the cinema going experience to another level and it is possible we have to have the will to do it.

We have to make the film for the man who buys the ticket and sits in the cinema hall and not sitting in the house and watching a television on the television set.

We owe it to them to go out and get entertained! It's high time we get up and start working towards it.

Shri. Yusuf Galabhaiwala, Partner, GTC Industries Big Cine Expo 2023, it gives me the utmost pleasure to represent Galalite on such an esteemed platform for the fifth year in a row, amongst the best professionals in the industry! I cannot thank Raghav and his team at Network208 enough for this platform and event which is growing year on year having to work so closely with Raghav. I actually know the kind of hard work, love, and dedication he and his team put behind this show. It truly feels wonderful to be back!

A little over 10 years ago, cinema owners had a choice of whether to let a multinational cinema screen manufacturer enter the market or to support an Indian manufacturer. I think the choice is pretty evident, since I'm standing here on this platform before you, thanking you. It was the trust of Indian cinema owners, that has made us who we are today and I'm sure you are proud of that very choice. We've taken the trust, worked hard to build excellent products that enhance the experience of your cinemas, and we will continue to do so.

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PANEL DISCUSSION

Relooking at Content & Strategies for Balanced Growth

Panellists: Aashish Singh - Producer - Consultant, Lyca Productions Ankur Roongta - Managing Director, Roongta Cinemas Neeraj Goswamy - Sr. VP-Worldwide Theatrical Distribution, Viacom18 Studios Preetham Daniel - VP - Theatre Development (India, SE Asia, Aus & NZ), IMAX Corporation Vishesh Bhatt Film Producer, Director, Screenwriter, Vishesh Films Moderator: Karan Taurani - Senior Vice President - Research Analyst, Elara Capital

Overview: The streaming players have taken on the movie studios and earmarked massive budgets for original and exclusive content over the past few years. How do the major Hollywood & Indian studios recalibrate their strategies on delivering superior content and collaborate with the

TW-54 December 2023 - February 2024

cinema chains and deliver a 'Superlative Cinema Viewing Experience' to entice the audience away from the streaming platforms?

Karan Taurani kicksoff the introduction to the panel by stating the four mega trends from the post - COVID era.

Tackling on the reduction in number of audiences in cinemas as well as

changes in the talent consumption, he mentions, "The footfall numbers, I think we're still about 30% down for the industry as a whole. Now this is after taking in account the expansion in screen count that we have had and also the ticket prices. I think within the footfall part, Hindi has seen a bigger impact. Down close to 40% in our assessment and that's primarily because of small medium budget. So, I think the question here to ask in terms of strategy today, how do we as producers or exhibitors try to get this footfall back to pre-covid levels first and then expand and scale up from there. There are 4-5 things that we can look at from a broader perspective on is of course focus on franchise-based films, try to relook scripts in terms of avoiding remakes of Hollywood films, remakes of regional films which are there and try

to get this North and South blend together. Where the talent is working with each other, try to make a film which will appear to the overseas audience and eventually you can have a phantom monetisation also in place here. Last but not the least, VFX. I think you know the importance of VFX, we all know how VFX can impact the way a film is made and consumed and eventually drive a big chunk of footfalls into Cinemas. These are certain solutions broadly which I personally believe into. We obviously have the panellists here to share their views as well."

He then brings Aashish Singh into the conversation questioning his take on how important success is for large budget films currently and what kind of success formula could be used. In response to Karan's probing, Aashish says, "To answer your question regarding the 'Success Formula'-I wish there was one. I don't think that there is one success formula to make a film because, if we had it then everybody would be making successful films, right? But there has been a huge learning post-covid, and clearly the audience has changed, the dynamics have changed. The people have gotten used to watching so much content on OTT, very evolved content. To answer your question about big films, in my opinion, a big film is good content. I don't think the scale of the film can really decide if the film is good or bad. Having said that,

we need to make films with big actors, with large scale to get the audience in. in the past, or during covid, we had seen that a lot of these so-called big films have done great business. We saw the business of Pathaan, which broke all records for the hindi industry.

So we need to continue making these films with big stars, Magnum opuses, keeping in mind the festival releases and all of that. They will continue to rake money, some of them may make money and some of them may not.

Having said that bottom line is‘Content is King’, like we have always been saying. Let's focus on getting the content right, let's focus on getting the audience a very big viewing experience to come to the theatre."

Neeraj Goswamy adds to this point on the Hollywood's perspective.

Touching base with the film business in India first, he says, "As a country we are very blessed to have our own film industry. When I also know there are countries that are solely dependent on Hollywood films to keep their Box Offices going. That way, we are extremely fortunate! Point two, Hollywood continues to be in the 20% segment, but if you see the box office itself has grown multi-fold.

Unfortunately, we don't have an official box office tracking mechanism. We do have the capacity to watch more films, we like to watch a lot of movies as a nation. So Bollywood will have a steady growth, but I think India will

continue to dominate because that's our local flavour! And local flavour is never getting out of season. So as I say, we travel abroad- we like our pastas and pizzas, but by the fourth day we want dal-roti or rasam-rice.

Given that- India will continue to dominate the Box Office."

He further adds, "As far as marketing goes, the kind of budget Hollywood films have- when you have a 100-million-dollar marketing budget.

Now those are big numbers, our marketing budgets barely touch 10 million dollars. But the kind of noise we make, due to the innovative ways of marketing…we have our own films to our audience, which is basically in India and to the Indians living outside of India. They say there are 1.4 billion Indians here, and I assure you there are another billion outside of India itself. So, getting these people to watch films, our marketing efforts are probing towards the Indian audience living abroad and when these films cross over, we get to see that magic happen. And I am sure it will happen!

If an Indian film today has gone out and won an Oscar recently, I think we are up there in making sure we get the recognition we deserve. We have the recognition in our country, there's a little bit of Global attention that we all like and see, and I'm sure that will come too."

Technology Dynamics: Probing the question on the quality of VFX in India and how this would frame tractions in terms of IMAX, Preetham Daniel responds, "In terms of VFX, I think India is struggling a little bit. We saw that with a movie like Brahmstra, which went through more than what was expected from a reiteration perspective and there were some delays because of VFX. That is proving for us in India. In terms of, the demand for format itself, like Aashish mentioned about tickets, we are very December 2023 - February 2024 TW-55

small at that scale and going 24 screens today: however expecting to be 31 screens by the end of this year. The demand is growing! We are in tier-2 cities, like Coimbatore, we have our partners here in the audience today that are doing fantastic numbers. There is an acceptance to the format in tier-2 and tier-3 cities.

If 5-8 years ago if you had told me, that IMAX would be feasible in a small town? I would have clearly denied.

But today I question my logic on that.

So we're definitely growing stronger, the acceptance for format is growing.

We are indexing highly in the country, for instance, 'Oppenhiemer' which is being spoken about. We are about 15% of the country's box office on 24 screens which is substantially higher by many standards. So that market share is growing strongly, and I think for VFX one of the most important things is that the movie has to be narrated as a storytelling.

Today, that's what I believe is lacking somewhere and that's exactly where the demand lies.

With concurrence to the fact that India is indeed a focus market for Hollywood content and there is certainly a demand for IMAX. On the contrary, Vishesh Bhatt talks about the scenario in the regional and Hindi content. Although the known fact remains about certain constraints on the cinema because of the censorship

TW-56 December 2023 - February 2024

and production, the entire ball game revolves around the content if simply put. He says, ‘Fortune Favours the Bold’ there is a reason that is a saying. Don't chase trends, don't predict trends, one can only do that to a certain extent. I know everyone has their balance sheets and they need to have some sense to it. But at the same time, you need to follow the intuition and the gut of the storytellers. Which I think has gone out of practice today. Filmmakers are burning with a desire to tell a story that is with them and they feel that the audience can connect with. If we can go back to some of those core fundamentals of storytelling which has been there for thousands of years, I think we will arrive at a better spot for each one. I think they can all coexist, and we will find a healthy financial rewards."

Relooking Stories: It is a great enough practice that the film industry can go through to revive the footfalls. Getting Ankur Roongta's point of view on the footfalls, he says, "Cinemas have always been known for giving larger than life experience.

Knowing that the COVID era did not quite do justice to our industry, the story turned tables right post that.

We had people thronging to the cinemas as if they felt alive again.

Running a cinema chain, what we have experienced is that all public nowadays want a different concept and a whole new different experience that was given pre-covid with better sound, video quality and a better different experience in terms of conceptualised audience so that the moviegoers can experience what its like to have life on big screens. And yes, there has been an evident increase in the footfalls in cinemas from earlier, it used to be at 15-20% and now we are observing an increasing trend every 2% in a quarter."

Karan furthers this discussion seeking statistics on film economics. He questions on the most vital part of content making. He asks, "Is there a need to relook into the economics or cost allocation of films in terms of star cost, marketing, VFX? Is that a mix kind of changing now because the environment is uncertain, films are not doing well, otherwise not being met?

So what are production houses of stature doing at this point?" For which Aashish answers, "Actually budget is the key to the success of any film right now. Pathaan at INR 250 or INR 300 crores, Yash Raj Films at a different budget, then 'Pathaan' at INR 500 crore, the budget could have been 500 also.

Typically, the old school way of thinking is to keep the budget side, no question about that. Keep the star prices as low as possible, but it is also about strategising your films very well now. Luckily, the world has opened up first to India and for us from a regional language point of view, we are being able to monetiseat least the South films are being monetised extremely well right now.

A Tamil film can be distributed in the Telugu industry or Kannada Industry, Malayalam industry, and there is still a capital business for most of them.

Even globally, you can release a Tamil film like did for Ponniyin Selvan: I in

EVENT CALENDER Telugu, we obviously dubbed it in Hindi and it did a certain numbers in Hindi as well! So from a south point of view, the model has been pretty well cracked. Now coming back to your question regarding global audience.

The answer is very simple actually, one-sixth of the global population are Indians. So I wonder where we are lagging? We just have to put down that good content and reach out to them and the market is surely going to grow! There's no question about it.

But in terms of numbers, not in terms of population, but in terms of broader numbers if you see Hindi films or other films they're not able to do more than 10-15% of their collections from nonIndia markets. Whereas, if you look at the US, I think more than 50% of the collection would be from films from the non-US markets, right? So, I think this mismatch and how we can correct this is because that will eventually persuade producers to make bolder calls because they know there's a potential out there so is that changing?"

from Europe producing over there. So that just leaves India and China, who can actually produce or distribute films. The other thing we have to be conscious about is the presentation of a film. So clearly for a non-Indian diaspora, as an audience we just cannot have the masala films. The content has to be much more evolved and presented in a certain way. Even when we reach some of our Hollywood films in the non-traditional films we are requested to reduce a few songs, reduce the length of the films, and make the characters more relatable and more authentic. Hence, if we really have to penetrate deeper in the global market, we may have to change the so-called style of filmmaking for some of the big films that come out of India. But that is a call the producer will have to take whether you first make it for your content and then the global market or if you're just targeting the global market right away."

He goes to explain, "It is definitely going to correct, but it will take a little time. If you just go a little back, to precovid days when India and China relations were very amiable and smooth, The China territory had opened up big time for us, we saw the business of Dangal, Secret Superstar and all such Indian films that did exceptionally well and probably covered most of the cost from just the China market. So these kind of markets can continue opening for just India. Recently, I was invited to Russia, I went and met them and they were really super excited about Indian content. But we have to open that market, by releasing a few films, reaching out to them. Marketing them well over there. Clearly for Russia, currently in the current situation, we cannot have Hollywood films producing over there or even films

Approaching on the English counterparts of Hollowood studios, Prretham gives his insights in terms of ROI and global counterparts. He responds, Mario and Barbie, we can probably talk a little bit more but for me, I think those are fantastic films in terms of low-cost making, high-return investment. I think this is where the point of strategic sort of content choice comes up and obviously the films resonated well with their audiences and also tapped into the sort of brand equity that was out there. Should we continue to do more of these kind of films? The answer would probably be yes. The box office that you have seen on these films wouldn't give you a choice we continue to do those kind of films.

I see Hollywood is changing and these kinds of films coming out is testimony to that."

2023 4-7 DECEMBER CINEASIA BANGKOK, THAILAND www.cineasia.com

2024 8-11 APRIL CINEMACON LAS VEGAS, USA www.cinemacon.com

17-20 JUNE CINEEUROPE BARCELONA, SPAIN www.cineeurope.net

27-28 AUGUST BIG CINE EXPO MUMBAI, INDIA www.bigcineexpo.com

22-25 SEPTEMBER

Understanding ROI

KINO EXPO ST. PETERSBURG, RUSSIA www.kinoexpo.ru

8-11 OCTOBER EXPOCINE SÃO PAULO, BRAZIL www.expocine.com.br

21-24 OCTOBER SHOWEAST FLORIDA, USA www.showeast.com

OCTOBER AUSTRALIAN INTERNATIONAL MOVIE CONVENTION GOLD COAST, AUSTRALIA www.movieconvention.com.au

NOVEMBER META CINEMA DUBAI, UAE www.menacinema.com

December 2023 - February 2024 TW-57

Neeraj adds, Barbie had a budget of 100 million dollars, Mario had about 150 million dollars, it's basically every studio strategy how much money they want to deploy and what kind of project they want to make. Fun fact Barbie today is a billion-dollar film! It's the first film to have a woman director to touch a billion dollars. So this trend is currently changing purely because of the figures when you look at it. See, every studio, company, production, and producer first need to be absolutely honest about the film they want to make and for whom they want to make it. You want to make a film for the Indian audiences, the expat Indians, that clarity is required. The problem, is very often we get too involved in the math. So focus on the content, make the film you want to make, and if it crosses over- that's a bonus!

Cinema Economics: A Miss or Struggle Karan concludes by bringing the cinema economics into the picture.

TW-58 December 2023 - February 2024

He asks, "Do you all align with the view that there is a need for differential ticket prices, like content being priced at 40% discount on ticket prices and do you think that eventually the footfalls will come back based on this?"

Neeraj addresses, "India is the only country where there are states where ticket prices are governed or dominated by what the government wants. So, I believe it should be a free market differential pricing, dynamic ticket pricing. We need to push ticket prices up. Not because it's great success, but that's the journey of every country territory. India for the longest time, the average ticket prices was 1 dollar, when dollar was 40 rupees! Our presentation would start'The average ticket price in India1 dollar. 1 dollar was 40 bucks!' I'm saying today average ticket prices have moved down to two or three.

They need to get to 10-15, which eventually will, but more than that what we need is the magic '40,000 screen' figure. The more screens

people have, that's going to add to the box office.

Vishesh adds, "I think, that's a distribution release strategy but I think coming to the Barbie conversation, that's more connected in this! See, what he said is it's a female director touching 1 billion dollar. The idea is that she and Barbie has changed its perspective also, it's a feminist story.

Now what we were seeing earlier, on the single screens and audiences stepping out- the main thing is that ultimately the topic has to be for a cinema experience, the social experience. Now if you predetermine that by being a superhero film only, which is what most people tend to do, then you are now facing in the west already calls the ‘Superhero Fatigue’. You are seeing Barbie numbers, Oppenhiemer numbers, people are shocked, and the marketers are shocked. So it just comes down to, I think, as long as it becomes something that excites a group to go together in terms of storytelling and what the subject is.

REVIEW

23-26 October 2023 Miami, Florida

2023 sees another energetic event that brought together professionals from all over to deliver the finest movie experience imaginable! ShowEast, one of the largest networking events in the cinema industry, is a special expo and convention that brings individuals from the business together to celebrate the magic of cinema. The mega event was more than a tradeshow; it was a celebration of the cinematic world, with many networking possibilities, and fun-filled events.

The event featured a variety of special product presentations and screenings from independent and large Hollywood studios to assist you in making key programming selections. Fascinating seminars and presentations provided valuable insight from top executives on the latest industry trends and concerns, while the EXPO experience provided delegates with a look at the latest and newest technologies, entertainment, services, comforts, and conveniences to make their theatres must-attend destinations.

TW-60 December 2023 - February 2024

SHOWEAST HONOREES: E N R I Q U E RAM TAM RAMII R E Z LA LAT OR O F TH E YEAR ITO OF THE E X H I B IT National Amusements - Argentina Team Oscar García Ortiz, Managing Director Mariela Mosso, Director, Argentina Film Booking Ana Albertí, Director, Argentine Marketing & Distribution Partnerships Alejandro Gonzalez Alzaga, Director of Operations

Dan Fellman Show "E" Award Elissa Federoff, President, Distribution, NEON

Al Shapiro Distinguished Service Award Paul Dergarabedian, Senior Media Analyst, Comscore

Bingham Ray Independent Spirit Award Frank Rodriguez, Senior Vice President, General Sales Manager, Searchlight Pictures

and Concessions

LATAM Distributor of the Year

Salah M. Hassanein Humanitarian Award

Ernesto Espinosa, Universal Pictures International

Ron Krueger II, Chief Operating Officer, Santikos Theaters

Comscore LATAM & Domestic Box Office Achievement Awards

The Coca-Cola Empowerment Award

Warner Bros. Pictures for Barbie

NAC ICON Award Shelly Olesen, Vice President Sales & Marketing, C. Cretors & Co.

Rebecca Stein, VP, Marketing & Partnerships, National Amusements

PREVIEW

4-7 December 2023 Bangkok, Thailand

After 25+ years as the most successful convention for theatrical exhibition in the AsiaPacific region, CineAsia returns with its 28th year to Bangkok, Thailand- to satisfy the demand for more exciting studio presentations, more variety on the Trade Show floor, and more valuable seminars and programming. Popularly known for its unique stage and wide networking opportunities, the mega event is here to provide a platform for great minds of the cinema world to connect and do business with the APAC motion picture industry!

CineAsia is the industry's mostawaited trade show, opening up new territories of the cinema exhibition world and giving a voice to businesses to help them sustain, and grow their business in the year to come. This event consists of a variety of exhibition, distribution, and motion picture industry colleagues for 4 days of networking and product presentations and screening of major Hollywood films soon to be released. Attendees will also get an opportunity to visit the Trade Show where they can learn about the latest equipment, products, and technologies to stay ahead of the trends!

The Asia-Pacific market is one of the exciting territories for the movie exhibition business given its rapid growth and high presentation standards of cinemas. Out of the top ten international box office markets, four of them are in Asia- India, South Korea, China and Japan. CineAsia will be an effective platform for business to network with prospective clients and partners in the Asia-Pacific region.

The 28th Edition of CineAsia gears up to deliver the very best in exclusive studio screenings and product presentations from Hollywood and Asia-Pacific studios, cinematic technologies & innovations on the Trade Show floor and educational seminars to keep your business on top of industry trends.

• • •

AWARD PRESENTATIONS: • Motion Picture Association (MPA) Asia-Pacific Copyright Educator (A.C.E.) Siddharth Roy Kapur, Roy Kapur Films Presented by Belinda Lui, President & Managing Director, MPA • Comscore's 2023 APAC Box Office Achievement Award Presented by Comscore • CineAsia Career Achievement Award •

CineAsia will take place in Bangkok, Thailand on 4-7 December 2023!!

TOP COUNTRIES IN ATTENDANCE: • • • • • • • • • •

Australia Cambodia China Indonesia India Japan Korea Malaysia Singapore Taiwan

Thailand U.S.A. Vietnam

Exhibitor of the Year Javier Sotomayor, Managing Director, Asia & Middle East, Cinépolis

•

Distributor of the Year Eugene Yang, Senior Vice President, Theatrical Distribution & Marketing, Paramount Pictures Asia Pacific Region

•

CineAsia ICON Award Benny Suherman, Founder - Cinema XXI, Indonesia

December 2023 - February 2024 TW-61

F U T U R E

R E L E A S E S

A glimpse of movies coming soon…

Saltburn

The Oath Production LuckyChap Enter.

Production Freestyle Digital

Director Emerald Fennell

Director Darin Scott

Starring Rosamund Pike, Jacob Elordi

Starring Darin Scott, Billy Zane

Genre Drama

Genre Action, Drama, Romance

Godzilla Minus One

Eileen

Production Toho Co.

Production Film4

Director Takashi Yamazaki

Director William Oldroyd

Starring Ryunosuke Kamiki, Minami Hamabe

Starring Anne Hathaway, Thomasin McKenzie

Genre Action Adventure

Genre Crime, Thriller

The Boy and the Heron

The Bikeriders Production 20th Century Studios Director Jeff Nichols Starring Michael Shannon, Mike Faist Genre Crime, Drama

Production Studio Ghibli Director Hayao Miyazaki Starring Soma Santoki, Masaki Suda Genre Adventure

December 2023 - February 2024 TW-63

F U T U R E Magazine Dreams

Anyone But You

Production Searchlight Pictures

Production Sony Pictures

Director Elijah Bynum

Director Will Gluck

Starring Jonathan Majors, Harrison Page

Starring Glen Powell, Sydney Sweeney

Genre Drama

Genre Comedy, Romance

Wonka

Migration Production Warner Bros.

Production Universal Pictures

Director Paul King

Director Benjamin Renner

Starring Timothee Chalamet, Olivia Colman

Starring Kumail Nanjiani, Elizabeth Banks

Genre Adventure, Fantasy

Genre Comedy, Family

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom

The Boys in the Boat

Production Warner Bros.

Production Smokehouse

Director James Wan

Director George Clooney

Starring Pilou Asbaek, Jason Momoa

Starring Courtney Henggeler, Joel Edgerton

Genre Action, Adventure

Genre Drama, Sports

Ferrari

The Iron Claw

TW-64 December 2023 - February 2024

R E L E A S E S

Production A24

Production Moto Productions

Director Sean Durkin

Director Michael Mann

Starring Zac Efron, Harris Dickinson

Starring Sarah Gadon, Jack O'Connell

Genre Biography, Sports

Genre Biography, Drama

F U T U R E The Color Purple

R E L E A S E S 2 Win

Production Warner Bros.

Production Lionsgate

Director Blitz Bazawule

Director Stefano Mordini

Starring Taraji P. Henson, Corey Hawkins

Starring Riccardo Scamarcio, Daniel Brühl

Genre Drama, Musical

Night Swim

Genre Drama, Sports

Lisa Frankenstein Production Universal Pictures

Production MXN Entertainment

Director Bryce McGuire

Director Zelda Williams

Starring Wyatt Russell, Kerry Condon

Starring Kathryn Newton, Cole Sprouse

Genre Horror, Suspense

Genre Comedy, Suspense

The Beekeeper

Madame Web Production Miramax Films

Production Sony Pictures

Director David Ayer

Director S.J. Clarkson

Starring Jason Statham, Jeremy Irons

Starring Dakota Johnson, Sydney Sweeney

Genre Action, Thriller

Genre Action, Superhero

Bob Marley: One Love

Argylle Production Apple Original

Production Paramount Pictures

Director Matthew Vaughn

Director Reinaldo M Green

Starring Henry Cavill, Sam Rockwell

Starring Lashana Lynch, Kingsley Ben-Adir

Genre Thriller, Mystery

Genre Biography, Drama

December 2023 - February 2024 TW-65

F U T U R E Ordinary Angels

R E L E A S E S Captain Miller

Production Kingdom Story

Production Sathya Jyothi Films

Director Jon Gunn

Director Arun Matheswaran

Starring Hilary Swank, Alan Ritchson

Starring Dhanush, Shiva Rajkumar

Genre Drama, Faith

Genre Action, Drama

Drive-Away Dolls

Dunki

Production Focus Features

Production Jio Studios

Director Ethan Coen

Director Rajkumar Hirani

Starring Margaret Qualley, Geraldine Viswanathan

Starring Shah Rukh Khan, Taapsee Pannu Genre Drama, Comedy

Genre Adventure, Comedy

Animal

Salaar: Part 1 – Ceasefire Production T-Series

Production Hombale Films

Director Sandeep R Vanga

Director Prashanth Neel

Starring Ranbir Kapoor, Rashmika Mandanna

Starring Prabhas, Prithviraj, Shruti Hassan

Genre Action, Thriller

Genre Action, Drama

Fighter

Yodha

TW-66 December 2023 - February 2024

Production Dharma Productions

Production Marflix Pictures

Director Sagar Ambre

Director Siddharth Anand

Starring Sidharth Malhotra, Disha Patani

Starring Hrithik Roshan, Deepika Padukone

Genre Action, Drama

Genre Action