Cinema Expo has European exhibitors looking 'Up'

http://www.filmjournal.com/filmjournal/content_display/news-and-features/features/cinemas/e3ibc30ab7d8da37db84ff1f98c8b317868

 

June 10, 2009

 

As our exclusive report from Dodona Research in our “Spotlight” section shows, 2008 was a strong year for Western Europe and an especially robust one in Eastern European nations like Russia and Poland. And at press time, early summer releases like Angels & Demons and Night of the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian were doing sensational business throughout Europe.

So, despite the current economic downturn, things are looking up at the 18th annual Cinema Expo International, and not just because Disney and Pixar’s critically acclaimed Up will be screening in 3D at the Amsterdam event.

The convention and trade show for the European cinema business, running June 22-25 at the Amsterdam RAI Exhibition and Congress Centre, will highlight major new releases from Paramount Pictures International, Sony Pictures Releasing International, 20th Century Fox International, Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures International and Warner Bros. Pictures, including such big titles as Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs in 3D, The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3, the Sandra Bullock comedy The Proposal, the Katherine Heigl comedy The Ugly Truth, and the horror thriller Orphan.

In between screenings, delegates will be enlightened by a series of seminars and presentations on the important issue facing cinema exhibition in the year 2009. “Getting into Digital: Alternative Means of Financing When Banks Aren’t Lending” is the hot topic of the Monday afternoon seminar moderated by Drew Kaza, executive VP, digital development, at Odeon/UCI Cinemas. The knowledgeable panelists include Jason Brenek, senior VP, worldwide digital cinema and cinema programming, Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures; Mark Christiansen, executive VP, operations, Paramount Pictures; Howard Kiedaisch, CEO, Arts Alliance Media; and Franck Lebouchard, managing director, Europalaces.

Once that financing is in place, the programming opportunities are boundless. Arts Alliance Media will offer a glimpse of its alternative-content offerings in the presentation “An Exhibitor’s Guide to the Galaxy: Movies and More via Satellite,” which will also showcase the XpanD 3D Active System.

Longtime sponsor Coca-Cola is coordinating a business development seminar titled “Profit by Design,” illustrating the impact of a well-trained staff, smart foyer design, concession merchandising, and marketing to older audiences.

Vue Entertainment sales and marketing director Mark de Quervain will also be in Amsterdam to moderate a panel of leading European exhibitors, exchanging innovative ideas for marketing cinemas and product to the moviegoing audience.

A fun event this year is Cinema Expo’s first annual Interactive Challenge hosted by Cineworld, in which two teams of industry professionals compete for the title of “Cinema Expo Interactive Champs of 2009.”

Anthony Marcoly, president of Disney Studios International, will offer a preview of the company’s upcoming 3D projects, while Fox International co-presidents Paul Hanneman and Tomas Jegeus will present their studio’s lineup for 2009 and beyond. And before The Ugly Truth, Sony will unveil footage from 2012, the latest project from blockbuster director Roland Emmerich.

Wednesday night is reserved for the Cinema Expo Awards Ceremony and Dinner. Daniel Frigo, executive VP and general manager, EMEA, for Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures U.K. and EMEA, will accept the “International Distributor of the Year” award, while “International Exhibitor of the Year” honors go to Odeon & UCI Cinemas Group. Pierre Morel, the filmmaker behind the smash thriller Taken, will receive “International Director of the Year” kudos, and Chas Evans of Paramount Pictures International will accept the Cinema Expo Award of Appreciation. In addition, the Nielsen EDI International Gold Reel Awards will recognize those films that have earned more than $100 million at the international box office.

Major dinner and luncheon sponsors include Fox International, Paramount International, Arts Alliance Media, Christie, DLP Cinema, Dolby Labs, Sony Electronics and Nielsen EDI. And let’s not forget the trade show, where delegates get their first look at the technologies and treats that are making a night out at the movies more vital than ever.