CINEMA EXPO INTERNATIONAL 2008 TO HONOR CGR CINÉMAS AS“INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITOR OF THE YEAR”

June 23, 2008

Source: Cinema Expo International

CGR Cinémas and its Directeur General, Mr. Jocelyn Bouyssy, have been named as Cinema Expo International’s “International Exhibitor of the Year” at the 2008 convention, it was announced by Mitch Neuhauser, co-managing director of the event. M. Bouyssy will receive his honor at the Gala Awards Luncheon, to be held on Thursday, June 26th at the Amsterdam RAI Exhibition &
Congress Centre.

“It is with great honor for Cinema Expo to acknowledge and pay tribute to an unequalled leader in international exhibition such as CGR Cinémas,” said Mitch Neuhauser. “CGR continues to raise the bar and set new standards of excellence by becoming the first European cinema chain to adopt the Virtual Print Fee (VPF) business model and go fully digital. This prestigious award is presented to companies that distinguish themselves as having the most success in the international exhibition arena and certainly
CGR is most deserving of this honor”.

CGR Cinémas is a leading and expanding cinema chain in France. The company is well known for the success of its multiplexes in many mid-size cities across the country, as well as for the efficiency of its cost management and profitability. CGR Cinémas and Arts Alliance Media (AAM), Europe’s leading specialist in digital cinema technology, content and deployment, recently announced the installation of France’s first fully digital 12-plex cinema at La Rochelle. This is a significant milestone for the French
motion picture industry and further proves the viability of the VPF business model for Europe’s widespread transition to digital cinema. 100 CGR screens are scheduled for digital installation by July 28 as part of the AAM and CGR exclusive agreement, to digitally equip 100% of the circuit’s 400 screens. In addition to the 12-plex already installed in La Rochelle, installations will take place over the next three months at CGR’s sites in La Meziere, Villenave d’Ornon, Lattes, Torcy, Brignais, Blagnac, Lanester, Mantes La Jolie, Epinay, Niort and Colmar.

To date, a total of 19 screens have been equipped with DCI-compliant 2K digital projection systems within eight different CGR multiplexes across France in the cities of La Rochelle, Blagnac, Brignais, La Meziere, Lattes, Niort, Villenave d’Ornon and Torcy. A the La Rochelle site— the first to be fully equipped in digital— a one month extensive test and analysis phase has now begun, which will allow CGR and AAM to assess network interactivity software and data reliability solutions. To enable a smooth
transition to digital, the 35mm projection systems will remain in place, so each screen can play 35mm or
digital prints, as needed.

Founded in 1974 by George Raymond, CGR Cinémas is a French exhibition group based in La Rochelle, France. The group, initially based in the South West of France, took advantage of the creation of multiplexes to spread throughout the entire French territory. Today, CGR Cinémas is the third largest exhibition chain and the first independent circuit in France with more than 16 million admissions per year. Madame Nicole Raymond and her children, Luc and Charles Raymond, took over the group when George Raymond died. Jocelyn Bouyssy has worked at CGR Cinémas for the past 20 years and currently
serves as Chief Executive Officer of the company.

M. Bouyssy started his career in CGR Cinémas, gaining more responsibilities and rising through the ranks over the years. In 1998, he was named as top executive in charge of supervising the 35 theaters belonging to CGR throughout France. In June, 2006, the shareholders nominated him to become CEO of CGR.

While many of CGR’s cinema competitors have been hesitant to implement a digital roll out, under Bouyssy’s leadership, CGR has proved itself to be the leader in the implementation of digital. In the upcoming months, all of CGR’s 400 cinemas are planned to be equipped with digital cinema technology.

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