Arts Alliance Media is proud to announce the launch of the first digital cinema
circuit in the UK, with the first ever HD digital screening in the UK of a film
by a UK director, Peter Greenaway’s The Tulse Luper Suitcases. The screening is
also the first HD digital screening of a UK production and is taking place at the
Arts Picturehouse on Friday 11th July as part of the 23rd Cambridge Film Festival.
The Cambridge Arts Picturehouse is the first cinema to be equipped by Arts Alliance
Media with a digital server and projector. Arts Alliance Media will be equipping
further art-house screens in the next few months as part of a commercial trial.
Peter Greenaway said, "I welcome this initiative
and am proud to have directed the first film to be shown in this new circuit. Digital
cinema has great potential to revive independent and foreign film."
Digital projection increases the quality experienced by the cinemagoer, who sees
a pristine version of the film whether it is the first or fiftieth time the film
is screened. Distribution costs are reduced as expensive 35mm prints are not required,
particularly benefiting smaller art house films for which this is a significant
expense. Since one physical print does not need to travel to multiple locations,
the film can be launched in a wider number of sites simultaneously. Exhibitors will
also have more flexibility to holdover films and optimise capacity.
Thomas Hoegh, Chairman of Arts Alliance Media said, “We
are all very encouraged by the promise of digital cinema. Now is the time to roll
up our sleeves and demonstrate the benefits for distributors, exhibitors and cinemagoers.”
The digitised film is stored on and played out from an EVS CineStore Solo server.
The digital image is projected onto the screen using a Digital Projection IS10 projector
with a Texas Instruments DLPTM 1280 x 1024 DMD chip.
The digital projector will be used throughout the festival and on an ongoing
basis to show films in other formats including HDD5, digibeta and DV. All Tomorrow’s
Parties, directed by Yu Lik-wai will also be shown digitally at the festival
on Weds16th at 9.00pm.
Tony Jones, Director of the Cambridge Film Festival
and Founder of City Screen said "This is a huge step forward for independent
film in the UK and will allow us to show an even greater range of films in our cinemas"
