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- The exhibition chain, with 34 cinemas across Spain, and an average of 12 million visitors per year, is the first in the country to digitize 100% of its screens

- The process of this transition from 35 mm technology to DCI compliant digital systems, has been completed in 12 months, from the date of the agreement

- Almost half of the digital screens, 193, are equipped with 3D systems

London, October 14th 2011 – Marking another European digital cinema milestone, Yelmo Cines, Spain’s leading exhibitor, has become the first in the country to become 100% digital. Following last year’s announcement that Arts Alliance Media (AAM) were to digitise Yelmo’s entire circuit, all 402 screens in 34 sites across Spain are now equipped with DCI compliant digital equipment, including 193 screens outfitted with RealD 3D screens.

Arts Alliance Media and Yelmo Cines have been working together on the digital cinema rollout since 2008 when AAM installed digital equipment in 5 screens of Yelmo’s new Izla Azul complex in Madrid.

Fernando Évole, CEO of Yelmo Cines, said “In Yelmo Cines, we’ve always bet on innovation, and the best technologies available on the market because we believe our audience deserve to have the best cinema experience possible. With this latest move we´re able to provide unsurpassed image and sound quality, thanks to being the first Spanish exhibitor to be 100% digitised.”

Howard Kiedaisch, CEO of Arts Alliance Media, added “Working with Fernando and the team at Yelmo over the past 3 years has allowed us both to learn a great deal and benefit from each other’s digital experience, and we’re delighted that they’ve been proactive and enthusiastic enough to be the first fully digital cinema chain in Spain.”

Enrique Martínez, Technical Director of Yelmo Cines, said “To install 402 screens in 12 months has been made possible through hard work by AAM, Kelonik, and all departments at Yelmo, and  we’ve achieved our goal and are very proud to be the first 100% digital chain in Spain. The quality of service from AAM and Kelonik has meant a seamless installation period, and we look forward to working with them to maintain our new equipment to the highest standards.”

Guillaume Thomine-Desmazures, Sales Manager for AAM in Spain, added “It’s been a great experience working with Yelmo to achieve this digital cinema first in Spain, and we look forward to continuing to work with them to ensure they can reap all the benefits of digital cinema across their whole circuit.”
The installation and maintenance of the screens was carried out by AAM in conjunction with local Spanish integrator Suministros Kelonik.

Tomás Naranjo, CEO from Kelonik added “For Kelonik, it has been a real challenge to complete this roll out with Yelmo and AAM, in record time. Only the very close collaboration and the great professionalism of both companies made it possible to achieve it with the highest standard of quality”.

All sites are equipped with AAM’s Theatre Management System and Library Management Server. All sites have also been equipped with satellite systems from AAM’s partner Arqiva, allowing them to show live events, and also to receive features and trailers via satellite directly into their servers. Yelmo recently participated in the first transmission of a feature film via satellite in Spain, when A Contracorriente’s release El Caso Farewell was distributed this way, by AAM, to sites across the country.

Arts Alliance Media has previously achieved several European digital cinema firsts, including the first circuit in France to be fully digital (CGR Cinemas – 400 screens), the first circuit in the UK to commit to being fully digital (Cineworld – 790 screens) and the largest digital cinema rollout in Italy (The Space), all contributing to a total of over 3000 signed screens, as well as many content distribution firsts across Europe.

About Yelmo Cines

Yelmo Cines is one of the leading exhibition companies in Spain, operating 396 screens in 31 sites. With more than 12 million patrons every year, Yelmo Cines is recognised for the quality of the Theatre Multiplexes, offering stadium style seating auditoriums, digital surround sound systems, comfortable and wide seating, spectacular foyers with attractive concession stands, and multiple first class services like Print at Home Advance Selling Systems or CinExpress (Tickets and Popcorn in a non-queue Vip Service). Yelmo Cines innovation within the exhibition industry, its enhanced customer service, and the development of Alternative Content Programs, among others has served to be recognised as “International Exhibitor of the Year 2006” at the Cinema Expo International Congress held in Amsterdam.

About Kelonik

Kelonik has more than 30 years experience as a service provider of image and sound and has installed and manages about 3500 screens of which more than 1400 in 5 countries are digital. It has offices in Brazil, specifically Rio de Janeiro, from where it manages part of the South American market. The NOC which has its offices in Barcelona monitors a very large percentage of digital facilities installed, the NOC being crucial for the rapid solution of problems that may arise in theaters via remote supprt. There are a total of eight delegations spread throughout the Spanish territory, in order to service all film facilities it manages. The constant technological innovations such as 3D sound, and large-format screens are one of the important features of Kelonik that have helped the company to be in the leadership position it currently holds.

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