Arts Alliance Media

On June 17, digital cinema pioneer Arts Alliance Media will celebrate its 20th anniversary. The company was founded in 2003 by Thomas Hoegh and Arts Alliance Ventures, and initiated the first global digital cinema rollout, replacing 35mm projectors with digital upgrades for the UK’s Digital Screen Network. A short time later, AAM became the founding investor of Lovefilm and Picturehouse Cinemas, which were eventually sold to Amazon and Cineworld respectively. In 2007, AAM negotiated financing agreements with the Hollywood studios and that same year launched its first theatre management system. In 2008 AAM completed the first virtual print fee deal in Europe with the French cinema chain CGR.

Arts Alliance Media today announced the official opening of its United States based subsidiary company, AAM U.S. Incorporated to support the company’s ever-growing network of exhibitors and cinema integrators across the Americas. The new office is located in Camden, Delaware.

Arts Alliance Media and Motion Picture Solutions have signed a strategic co-operation agreement, which will see AAM collaborate with MPS and its invested partner Gofilex on a global content e-delivery system.

Arts Alliance Media first opened its doors in London June 17, 2003. In those very early days of digital cinema, the new company and its ten employees carved out a space in technology and what was then called alternative content. The company divested itself of the alternative content business a few years ago to focus on what has long been its core strength: cinema technology. AAM launched its first theatre management system in 2007 and, in 2008, completed the first virtual print fee rollout in Europe with French chain CGR. Today AAM has more than 140 employees spread over three offices in London, Amsterdam, and Guangzhou, China. I recently spoke via email with AAM’s chief executive officer Patrick Foley, and chief technology officer Richard Phillips about those early days of the company and, more importantly, to get their thoughts about the future of digital cinema technology.