Europe d-cinema rollout hung up on funding: Exhibitors air frustrations at annual Cinema Expo

June 23, 2009

Source: Film Journal International

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Dithering over funding and other details has European theater operators as frustrated as U.S. exhibitors with the slow rollout of digital cinema.

With bank financing still scarce, d-cinema proponents have been left scrambling for innovative other means of tapping into the required capital.

"It's very hard," said Howard Kiedaisch, CEO of the London-based d-cinema integrator Arts Alliance Media. "But we do take heart from the deal we were able to do in December."

In that case, Arts Alliance went to the Brussels-based leasing tech financier Econocom to back its rollout of equipment to convert 400 screens in France. More conventional lenders remain on the digital sidelines on the continent and elsewhere, but there are some other signs of progress.

Presently, at least two Hollywood majors are poised to announce virtual print fee agreements covering screen conversions throughout Norway, using government funding to get things going. A similar, more limited arrangement is also being mulled for German exhibitors.

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