PVR fires Kapoor, Paytm crosses $62m, ‘Limitless’ Odeon Printworks worries, AMC’s European shopping bill, ICTA awards, Netflix day-and-date policy no-change, WTW and Scott Cinemas merge, HArkness’ Mitchell heads BKSTS’ CTC, NBA and TED in cinemas, Cineplex attack, scanner theft, Furious fight, hand stuck at Smurf screening and sailing outdoor cinema.
India – PVR is said to have fired its Chief Business Development Officer Vijay Kapoor (above right) ‘on disciplinary grounds’. Kamal Gianchandani, Chief of Business Planning & Strategy, has been asked to take over Kapoor’s role immediately. “The employment of Vijay Kapoor who was employed as Chief Business Development Officer of the company has been terminated with effect from 20th April, 2017 on disciplinary grounds,” PVR said in a regulator filing, but would not go into further details when contacted. Financial Express – 20 April 2017
India – Online payment platform Paytm claims to have grossed INR 400 crore (USD $61.9 million) in transactions for its cinema ticketing operation. Launched in March 2016 it is trying to challenge the dominance of BookMyShow. Paytm’s movie ticketing enables bookings across 3,500 screens in more than 550 cities, with more than 25 million tickets booked in 2016.” 50% of tickets booked are said to be by repeat customers. Economic Times – 20 April 2017
UK – Manchester holders of Odeon Limitless passes worry about whether they will be able to use them or even get a refund, when Printworks changes hands from Odeon to Vue. “Odeon bosses say they will be in touch with Limitless members ‘to share all the relevant details’ when the Printworks site is sold.” But that’s not enough to reassure worried film fans. Unlike Cineworld and Odeon, Vue does not have an ‘unlimited’ scheme. Manchester Evening News – 19 April 2017
USA (KA) – Going on a spending spree for cinemas is not cheap, and AMC has just had the proverbial credit card bill for its big European splurge. “Higher depreciation and amortization costs ($125M-$130M), higher interest expenses ($62M-$65M) and merger and acquisition fees ($40M-$43M) will all impact the theater operator’s bottom line.” But with a generous credit line and a stock that has gone up 300% since Wanda IPO-ed it, don’t expect any need for belt-tightening at AMC. Seeking Alpha – 20 April 2017
Spain – ICTA has named its “Screen of the Year”-Awards, which its members vote for, and the winners in the three categories are:
Tennispalatsi, Helsinki/Finland as the CLASSIC SCREEN OF THE YEAR
Hollywood Megaplex, Pasching/Austria as the NEW BUILD SCREEN OF THE YEAR
Arcadia Cinema, Melzo (MI)/Italy as the NEW SCREEN OF THE YEAR for it’s technical renovation.
They will be given the awards during the ICTA cocktail reception the weekend prior to CinemEurope in Barcelon. Congratulation to all three of the very worthy winners. ICTA website
USA (CA) – Netflix has said that it will start offering its films in cinemas for exhibitor that wish to partner with it. But read the fine print and you will see that this is not a change in policy, as it has previously done day-and-date deals with smaller circuits, while bigger ones are not interested if there is no window of exclusivity. The issues was raised recently in France as two Netflix films will be screening in Cannes in May. In other non-news Netflix still has no plans to make its shows available as DVD box sets. Quartz – 18 April 2017
UK – Two small cinema operators have amalgamated their businesses. Cornwall-based WTW Cinemas has bought a significant stake in Devon-based Scott Cinemas, with the merged company continuing to trade as Scott Cinemas. The corporate operation will be known as WTW-Scott Cinemas. WTW has four cinemas in the south-west of England while Scott has seven cinemas. Screen Daily – 19 April 2017
UK – The founder of Secret Cinema discusses the tie-up for “The Handmaiden” (which contributed 1/3 of the films opening weekend BO), what it can do for arthouse films and future plans. Screen Daily – 20 April 2017
People
UK – BKSTS has announced the appointment of Harkness’ Richard Mitchell as new Chairman to oversee the development of its widely respected Cinema Technology Committee (CTC). Press Release – 20 April 2017
Event Cinema
France – NBA games will be show in cinemas in France 16-30 April. Tickets will be 7,9 and 15 euro. Le Figaro (FR) – 17 April 2017
USA – By Experience is bringing TED talks to cinemas across the world. Chaper than the USD $10,000 to attend. Sedona Film Festival – 20 April 2017
Law & Order
Germany – A young woman was severely assaulted by an un-known man in the Ladies toilet in the basement of the Cineplex cinema in Bayreuth. The woman had entered a cubice when the man forced himself in and onto her. She screamed and he fled. The police have issued a description. Neue Presse Coburg (DE) – 19 April 2017
Germany – A customer stole a hand scanner from a cinema in Soest and then tried to smuggle it out in a box of popcorn. The police caught him and he was found to have consumed a large amount of alcohol and had to sleep it off in a police cell. Westfalenpost (DE) – 17 April 2017
China (Taiwan) – Boyfriend turns furious when he spots his girlfriend with another man at a screening of “The Fate of the Furious” – that he himself had taken another girl to see. The event took place at Showtime Plaza in Chiayi City, in south-western Taiwan. Both couples were taken away by the police. Mirror – 20 April 2017
Health & Safety
UK (N. Ireland) – Firefighter were called into a cinema and had to cut free a 9-year old boy whose hand had become stuck in a cinema seat. The boy and his family had been watching “Smurfs: the Lost Village” at the Omniplex Cinema at Quayside Shopping Centre in Londonderry. “Hydraulic cutter, socket sets and screw drivers freed him much to his and his mum and dad’s relief,” the fire crew reported. NewsLetter – 19 April 2017
Finally
UK – Is this the first outdoor cinema on a ship? The Celluloid Sail Tour is visiting Sutton Harbour, Plymouth for a special two-day film event this May. “The tour is curated by Compass Presents, a BFI Film Audience Network (BFI FAN) event, in partnership with the BFI’s ‘Britain on Film’ project which launches Britain on Film’s Coast and Sea programme.” Films screened will include – appropriately enough – “The Life Aquatic”. Devon Live – 19 April 2017
