Milan, 24 September 2004

PRESS RELEASE

In Budapest, the third day of the course "European Cinema Exhibition: A New Approach" - 2004 edition - focused on initiatives designed for the spectator and on the promotion of European films. During an overview of the actions carried out in different countries, Lisa McNamara spoke of promotion in multiplexes, describing the wide range of activities offered in the cinema she manages in Faro, Portugal, under the Sbc Cinemas banner. Enrico Chiesa, Vice-Delegate of the Afcae in France, presented the collective promotional initiatives organised by the network of French art-house cinemas.
The activity proposed by a "quality miniplex", which has become a reference point for spectators who prefer art-house and experimental cinema, was outlined by Kenneth Just Hansen, Director of the Grand Teatret situated in the heart of Copenhagen, who was echoed by Robert Kenny, Director of Curzon Cinemas in London.
Quality as the aim of a carefully worked out company strategy was at the centre of the talk by Roman Gutek. The distribution and exhibition company founded and presided over by him plays a crucial role in the dissemination of European films in Poland, thanks also to synergy with a festival that has become very popular with younger audiences.
The spirit of European cinema also animated the visit to the MOM Park, one stop on the route that allowed participants in the MEDIA Salles training event to become acquainted with the various types of theatres operating in Budapest. Here a screening took place of the Hungarian film Kontroll, by the director Nimród Antal, who received the "Youth" award at the last Cannes Festival.
Andrea Lovasz, Director of the MOM Park, stressed the cinema's avant-garde technology: the complex, managed by Palace Cinemas, does in fact house one of the three digital screens in existence in Central-Eastern Europe.
Another multiplex, the Lurdy Ház, situated in a large shopping centre on the outskirts of the Hungarian capital, was presented by Csaba Pressing, Chief Exhibition Executive of InterCom. A vertically integrated company and leader on the Hungarian cinema market, InterCom has a promotional strategy based on the integration of various elements that affect customer service such as, for example, the booking systems using the Internet and mobile phones.

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