Arts Alliance Media (AAM), Europe’s leading digital cinema
company, and Finnkino Cinemas, Finland’s number one cinema chain, have
announced a deal to digitise all of Finnkino’s screens across the country. The VPF deal will cover all of Finnkino’s 88
screens across 14 sites, and will see each screen converted to DCI-compliant
digital cinema over the next 18 months. Finnkino screens which are already
digitally equipped will be rolled into the deal and covered by existing VPF
agreements.
Arts Alliance Media, which already has over 3,000 European screens
signed up to its VPF deals, will be the Finnish scheme’s exclusive integrator,
and as well as installing and maintaining the equipment will also manage
collection and administration of VPF payments. Finnkino sites will also be
installed with AAM’s Theatre Management System and Library Management Server,
to control all aspects of the digital screens and content. Each site will also
install a satellite system, in conjunction with AAM partners Arqiva, to receive
digital feature and trailer content, as well as live alternative content
events.
Liisi Jauho, CEO of Finnkino, said of the deal “"We
are proud and excited to start this co-operation with AAM. The deal helps
us to bring our cinemas to the digital era, and ensures a fast roll-out,
which is positive in many ways to the whole industry. Full digitalisation
creates new opportunities for developing the cinemas, operations and
concepts to the benefit of our customers and our company."
Howard Kiedaisch, CEO of Arts Alliance Media, commented
“This agreement with Finnkino is a great example of how AAM’s flexible
financing options can help not only cinemas new to digital, but also those
which have already begun their conversion. We’ve worked with Finnkino to establish
a model which fits their requirements, and look forward to completing the rollout
of a significant portion of the Finnish market.”
Gwendal Auffret, Senior Vice-President, Digital
Cinema, of Arts Alliance Media, added “We are delighted that Finnkino is
joining our European digital cinema rollout, and we’re looking forward to
working with Finnish distributors to ensure they can realise the benefits of
digital cinema in making their films available to the widest possible audience.”
