The Blue Ocean Film Festival & Conservation Summit will relocate its global ocean-focused event to the Monterey Peninsula beginning in 2010. The initial Monterey festival – with the aquarium as the presenting sponsor – is planned for August 25-29. Blue’s international film competition call for submissions will open in mid-January and film festival passes for the inaugural Monterey event will go on sale in late February.
The Maryland-based cinema chain R/C Theatres has signed an agreement to participate in Cinedigm’s Phase 2 digital cinema deployment program. R/C Theatres is the first National Association of Theatre Owners Cinema Buying Group member to commit to the program. The CBG represents more than 600 members that collectively have over 6 000 screens.
Cinematographer Geoffrey Boyle recently finished another installment in the Swedish-language film series based on Swedish crime writer Henning Mankell’s fictional character Kurt Wallander. The ongoing series Wallander airs on Swedish and Nordic television channels then moves to the BBC and is released on DVD. Boyle credits Element Technica’s Mantis camera support for expediting shooting of the last two episodes. “We did the first 10 days handheld with the Red and I was in pain every night ” says Boyle. “Once I got the Mantis everything changed.
Garrison Keillor host of A Prairie Home Companion brings the beloved radio show to select movie theatres in communities nationwide with a special live performance on Thursday February 4th. The event will originate from the famed Fitzgerald Theater in St. Paul Minnesota where the show has been performed since 1978. An encore presentation will be shown in select movie theatres on Tuesday February 9th. Presented by NCM Fathom Prairie Home Productions American Public Media and BY Experience A Prairie Home Companion with Garrison Keillor – Live in HD!
Denver-based Filament Productions recently wrapped production on the upcoming television series The Music Voyager a travel and adventure-based music show that explores the roots of popular music originating in countries around the world. Set to debut in the U.S. this year The Music Voyager takes viewers on a journey to unique destinations around the world to discover the culture uncover popular local music and understand its contemporary significance all while showing adventures the location has to offer.
By Michael Karagosian Since the release of the DCI specification in 2005 there has been no shortage of talk about compliance to the spec. While deployment agreements demand it and manufacturers strive to achieve it not a single manufacturer at the end of 2009 has yet to announce one compliant product. The reasons for this are many not the least of which are the 256 errata released for the DCI spec since first published with more on the way.
London’s Empire Leicester Square held the world premiere of the James Cameron movie Avatar on Thursday December 10 using Dolby’s 3D system and Barco projector. An invited audience of more than 1 300 guests filled the Empire Leicester Square which will act as the lead theatre for this much-anticipated premiere. “Empire Leicester Square boasts one of the largest screens in the UK which is why it regularly plays host to world premieres ” says Julian Pinn business development manager production services group Dolby Laboratories.
Pacific ArcLight in Los Angeles has installed 17 NEC 3D digital cinema projectors in preparation for the premiere of Avatar December 18th. “We found the NEC NC2500S-A projectors to be a great fit for us especially with the new higher light output for amazing picture quality ” says Joe Miraglia Pacific’s director of design construction and facilities.
Arts Alliance Media has signed an agreement with Reel Cinemas to digitize Reel’s entire circuit in the UK. The Virtual Print Fee based deal covers all 60 of Reel’s screens throughout the country across 15 sites as well as 60 affiliated screens programmed by Reel's programmer Steve Reynolds. The installation of digital equipment is scheduled to begin immediately. In addition the deal also covers the installation of 3D in 20 screens meaning there will be at least one 3D screen in each site to take advantage of next year’s slate of around 15 3D releases.
Screenvision has renewed its long-term agreement with Hogan Communications a media and marketing company targeting the college market. Under the agreement Screenvision will continue to represent national and regional cinema advertising sales for Hogan’s 397 college campus-based screens while Hogan will continue to produce and distribute its cinema preshow “Preview Theater ” in which the Screenvision-sold ads will appear.
