ARTS ALLIANCE MEDIA ANNOUNCES FIRST EUROPEAN
COMMERCIAL DIGITAL CINEMA VIRTUAL PRINT FEE
AGREEMENTS WITH TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX AND
UNIVERSAL PICTURES
AMSTERDAM, June 25th 2007 – Twentieth Century Fox (“Fox”), Universal Pictures International (“Universal”) and Arts Alliance Media (“AAM”), Europe’s leading provider of digital film distribution services, have reached non-exclusive long term Virtual Print Fee (VPF) agreements for digital cinema deployment across Europe, for close to 7000 screens over the next few years. Under the landmark agreements, Fox and Universal have committed to distribute feature film content digitally to Arts Alliance Media DCI-compliant digital cinema projection systems throughout Europe; to the UK and Ireland, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France, Spain, Italy, the Nordic region and the Benelux. Arts Alliance Media is also engaged in active negotiations with other studios including Buena Vista International and Paramount Pictures International.
The VPF business model is a means of financing the conversion to digital cinema, where both distributor and exhibitor contribute over time towards the total cost of the digital projection and server equipment.
Julian Levin, Executive Vice President, Digital Exhibition and Non-Theatrical Sales and Distribution, Twentieth Century Fox commented, “This arrangement represents the very first significant plan to finance and roll out DCI compliant digital projection systems across Europe. Fox remains committed to the transition to a digital cinema platform and looks forward to supplying its movies to digital projection systems installed by Arts Alliance Media. The image quality, content, security and distribution/exhibition efficiencies, including 3D exhibition, offered by digital projection clearly exceeds 35mm film. We are delighted to have closed this arrangement with our colleagues at Arts Alliance Media who have the experience and technical expertise to manage this process.”
Duncan Clark, Executive Vice President of Universal Pictures International agreed, “Arts Alliance's strategic move into this all-important arena is warmly welcomed and supported by Universal Pictures. The digital world is the future, and we as a studio are committed to its continual and sustained growth. We look forward to supplying our movies to this new digital platform and, along with audiences, reaping the rewards by continuing to enhance the theatrical experience.”
Howard Kiedaisch, AAM’ s Chief Executive Officer said, “These milestone agreements finally offer European exhibitors a viable commercial model to adapt their screens to digital cinema and put together a sustainable rollout strategy. The support of Fox and Universal is a strong endorsement of AAM and our ability to handle the complexities of a pan European deployment. We will announce further signings with other studios and independent distributors shortly.”
Fiona Deans, AAM’s Director of Digital Cinema added, “We are delighted to conclude these agreements and finally lift the roadblock on European digital cinema rollout. Undoubtedly, this is also a huge step forward for Arts Alliance Media and we are thrilled to secure the commitment and support of Fox and Universal, truly dedicated digital cinema pioneers.”
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For more information, please contact:
Twentieth Century Fox: Chris Petrikin
chris.petrikin@fox.com / +1 310 369 4781
Universal Pictures International: Stacy Ivers
stacy.ivers@nbcuni.com / +1 818 777 7216
Arts Alliance Media: Gemma Richardson
gemma@artsalliancemedia.com / +44 (0)7920 236299
Notes to Editors:
About Arts Alliance Media:
- Arts Alliance Media, based in London and Paris, is Europe's leading provider of digital film distribution services, dedicated to building a European digital network to deliver film to the cinema, to the home and between industry players. AAM provides end-to-end digital cinema solutions encompassing equipment selection, financing and integration, operator training, installation and support, and content management and delivery. AAM completed the UK Film Council digital cinema rollout of 240 screens on April 30th, 2007. AAM is participating in two digital cinema trials in Europe, one in the UK at the Odeon Surrey Quays multiplex since February 2007, and the other in Norway, in various cinemas across the country, since April 2006. To date, AAM’s in-house digital cinema lab has encoded 124 digital cinema titles and shipped over 1700 digital prints. AAM was founded in 2003 by Thomas C. Hoegh who serves as Chairman of the Board.
About Twentieth Century Fox:
- Twentieth Century Fox is a unit of Fox Filmed Entertainment, a unit of Fox Entertainment Group. One of the world’s largest producers and distributors of motion pictures, Fox Filmed Entertainment produces, acquires and distributes motion pictures throughout the world. These motion pictures are produced or acquired by the following units of FFE: Twentieth Century Fox, Fox 2000 Pictures, Fox Searchlight Pictures, Fox Atomic, and Twentieth Century Fox Animation.
About Universal Pictures:
- Universal Pictures is a division of Universal Studios (www.universalstudios.com). Universal Studios is part of NBC Universal, one of the world’s leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production and marketing of entertainment, news and information to a global audience. Formed in May 2004 through the combining of NBC and Vivendi Universal Entertainment, NBC Universal owns and operates a valuable portfolio of news and entertainment networks, a premier motion picture company, significant television production operations, a leading television stations group and world-renowned theme parks. NBC Universal is 80%-owned by General Electric, with 20% controlled by Vivendi Universal.