”DigiTraining Plus 2009: European Cinemas Experiencing New Technologies”

The sixth edition of the ”DigiTraining Plus 2009” course is approaching. Again in London, as last year, since Great Britain is still the hub of digitalization in Europe.

The “DigiTraining Plus” courses, supported by the MEDIA Programme and the Italian Government, are especially aimed at small and medium-sized cinemas in order to give detailed and hands-on evidence of the specific challenges, opportunities and problems associated with the digitalization of our cinemas in the future that is already with us.

The course will contain lectures by experts who have had experience in this particular field for some time, invite participants to debate and share their own experiences and offer visits to cinemas that actually have gone digital. What kind of technical, logistic and practical aspects did they have to cope with once they decided to go digital? What kind of business plan can you expect? What are the financial options?

Speakers from different market places will shed light on these matters in an intimate environment that will enable participants to get close to the experts. Among others Michael Karagosian, distinguished American advisor for NATO on digital cinema technology, will guide you through the American way and the status quo. (Please have a look at his bio in this newsletter).

You will hear the latest news about the Norwegian master plan that will enable all Norwegian cinemas to go digital at the same time whilst other representatives from Great Britain, France, Italy and Germany will chip in information for your benefit.

“DigiTraining Plus 2009” will take place from 25 February to 1 March 2009. MEDIA Salles hereby welcomes everybody to join the only course of its kind within new cinema technology.

Jens Rykaer
President of Media Salles
 

Italian and European Films on Digital in the United Kingdom

In 2008 digital distribution contributed to the dissemination on the UK market of a number of films that were already stars of the cinema season in their home countries. In Italy, for example, a full-length feature arrived, Caos Calmo, by Antonello Grimaldi, with Nanni Moretti and Valeria Golino, as well as award-reaping films, such as Paolo Sorrentino’s Il Divo and Gomorra by Matteo Garrone, based on the best-seller with the same title by Roberto Savino, which was awarded the trophy for Best Film of the Year at the European Film Awards, on 6 December 2008 in Copenhagen.
Il Divo, in particular, thanks to the digital format, was also on the programme in small centres like Hawkhurst in Kent. Here the Kino Digital Cinema presented it at the beginning of November, so that simultaneously with the presentation of Caos Calmo at the BFI London Film Festival, Sorrentino’s film was screened in the original language with English subtitles. The distribution of Grimaldi’s film in digital format by New Wave Film began in British cinemas on 24 October 2008.
As well as these Italian successes, during the month of November alone, other films were distributed in the UK in digital format, such as The Baader-Meinhof Complex, a blockbuster in Germany in 2008 (Momentum Pictures), Le silence de Lorna, by the Dardenne brothers (New Wave Film), the big film at the latest Cannes Festival, and Waltz with Bashir (Artificial Eye), an Israeli film but with German and French producers also.
In December came the turn of Lemon Tree (Unanimous Pictures), another Israeli, German, French co-production, Julia (Chelsea Films) and classics such the Italian Ladri di Biciclette, which Park Circus distributed throughout England during the Christmas holidays. Just some evidence of the great variety of digital content made available in the UK, a result of the strategy put in place by the UK Film Council through the Digital Screen Network.

The “DigiTraining Plus 2009” course will host a presentation of the DSN by Peter Buckingham, Head of Distribution and Exhibition for the UK Film Council.

Marcello Mazzucotelli

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