Fifteen Brazilian exhibitors signed a letter of intent today naming Beyond All, LLC as their integrator of choice to start Virtual Print Fee (“VPF”) negotiations with major Hollywood studios and independent distributors in Brazil, expediting the digital cinema roll-out in Brazil. This group of exhibitors comprises approximately 1,000 screens.
Digital theatres are fully networked, turnkey systems that are cost-efficient to operate and allow unique offerings in theatres, including alternative programming like live 2D and 3D sporting events and concerts, matinee cartoons, live Q&As, as well as branded entertainment.
Together with ANCINE (the agency responsible for promoting and regulating the Brazilian film and video industries) and The Brazilian Development Bank (BNDES, the main financing agent for development in Brazil), Beyond All’s VPF agreements will expedite the deployment of digital cinema systems in Brazil. By signing the LOI, the exhibitors have made a significant commitment towards advancing digital rollout in Brazil and will benefit from the incentive provided by the studios through VPF payments; VPF deals remain the main driving force behind digital conversions worldwide.
“We cannot simply replicate the US or European deals in Brazil,” said Beyond All, LLC CEO Tieres Tavares. “Brazil has many unique challenges, not the least of which is we are a country with continental proportions.”
Beyond All, LLC has partnered with MKPE Consulting and Cinedigm Digital Cinema Corp. for negotiation and technical services. MKPE, a leading consultancy in entertainment technology, will lead deployment negotiations for the consortium. MKPE principal Michael Karagosian, brings 12 years of digital cinema experience to the table, and was responsible for organizing similar deployment agreements in Ireland and the Philippines.Cinedigm, the industry-leading deployment program for digital cinema, will provide Theater Command Center (“TCC”) software to automate and manage the operation of digital movie theatres and will also provide the enterprise digital cinema servicing software which Cinedigm currently uses to manage the billing, monitoring, verification, collections and disbursements of VPFs at over 10,000 screens throughout the US. The combination of these two critical software capabilities will empower Beyond All and their Brazilian partners to benefit from industry leading digital cinema tools.
MKPE and Cinedigm will work with Beyond All to create the business and infrastructure required to successfully finance, deploy, maintain and monitor digital systems throughout Brazil and other South American territories.
“We believe the exhibitors in Brazil will benefit from this partnership with Beyond All, MKPE and Cinedigm. This arrangement translates not only into experiences combined but also into dynamism within the decisions yet to be taken,” said Ricardo Difini, CEO of GNC and a participant in the Beyond All program.
