MORRISTOWN, N.J.—Aug 1, 2005
INDUSTRY VETERAN CHUCK GOLDWATER JOINS ACCESS INTEGRATED TECHNOLOGIES AS CHRISTIE/AIX PRESIDENT AND COO
Former CEO of DCI to Lead AccessIT's Digital Cinema Rollout Initiative
Access Integrated Technologies, Inc.
("AccessIT") (AMEX: AIX) today announced the appointment of Chuck Goldwater as
President and COO of its newly created Christie/AIX business unit, effective
August 1, 2005. A 30-year veteran of the motion picture exhibition industry, Mr.
Goldwater most recently served as the Chief Executive Officer of Digital Cinema
Initiatives ("DCI"), the consortium created by seven Hollywood studios to
establish voluntary technical specifications and to facilitate the development
of business plans and strategies to spur deployment of Digital Cinema systems in
movies theatres.
AccessIT's Christie/AIX unit will serve as a funding vehicle and administrator
for the company's 2,500-screen Digital Cinema rollout plan announced in June
2005. Under the plan, Christie/AIX will act as a financing intermediary between
content owners - including major studios and independent distributors - and
exhibitors who will receive turnkey, DCI-compliant Digital Cinema systems
including 2K projectors and related hardware and software. In his new role,
Goldwater will be responsible for administering and expanding the plan, taking a
leading role in studio and exhibitor relations, and supporting further
AccessIT's Digital Cinema development initiatives with other members of the
company's management team worldwide.
"We are delighted that Chuck has agreed to join our company. There is no more
qualified and well-connected industry figure to lead our Christie/AIX unit as we
launch the largest Digital Cinema rollout anywhere in the world," said Bud Mayo,
President and Chief Executive Officer of AccessIT. "For over three decades,
Chuck has demonstrated his unique ability to understand the special needs of
exhibitors and distributors alike. The major studios confirmed his competence
and strong interpersonal skills when they chose him to lead their groundbreaking
Digital Cinema Initiatives effort. We look forward to working with Chuck as a
key team member."
Says Russell Wintner, President of AccessIT's Digital Media division, "Chuck
brings an important set of skills and extensive experience to AccessIT. His
appointment not only adds significant strength to our team, but it confirms once
again, our strong commitment to DCI standards and the goal of interoperability.
Chuck has been a friend for a long time and I am looking forward to working
directly with him as we continue to develop AccessIT's products and services
facilitating and supporting the industry's successful conversion to digital
cinema."
Since he was appointed as the Chief Executive Officer of DCI, a joint venture
created in March 2002 by seven film studios (Disney, 20th Century Fox, MGM,
Paramount, Sony Pictures, Universal and Warner Bros Studios), Mr. Goldwater has
been at the center of this film industry revolution. Prior to DCI, his 30-year
career focused principally on the exhibition side of the film industry, where he
held senior management positions with USA Cinemas and National Amusements, and
with Loews Theatres. He served as President/CEO of Mann Theatres in Los Angeles
and as President of Clearview Cinemas in New York. Earlier, he was President and
CEO of Iwerks Entertainment. Goldwater has served as a Board member of the
National Association of Theatre Owners (NATO), as Chairman of the CARA/Product
Committee and as a member of NATO's Executive Committee. On the philanthropic
side, he has also been active in a broad range of industry charity
organizations.
Commenting on his appointment, Mr. Goldwater said, "I am excited to have the
opportunity to join AccessIT. Bud and his team have created a unique and
visionary company, whose products and services are playing a central role in the
industry's now fast-moving transition to Digital Cinema. At DCI, we were focused
on developing the technical specifications and practices that would begin to
define the future of Digital Cinema. By joining AccessIT, I now have the
opportunity to continue working with the studios, exhibitors, manufacturers,
vendors, and other industry participants, overseeing the real-world deployment
of digital cinema systems that will help create the next generation of the
movie-going experience.