BFI cinema stats out, pricey Diwali film, South India ticket cap up, Korea’s culture days, Spain’s Cinema Feast, Japan’s 10th year of baby friendly screenings, ECA advisory committee, Hannover’s nosebleed cinema refurb, Palace Cinemas in Perth, Mockingbird Cinema in Birmingham, bijou cinema in Poland, fine dining multiplex in North Carolina and Germany’s top cinemas.
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UK – The British Film Institute (BFI) has released its research on cinema going in the UK. Amongst its findings:
People aged 15 to 24 make up the biggest proportion of cinema goers, around three in 10 of those in the audience (29 per cent) last year. However, this has been falling from a peak of 35 per cent in 2011.
Older people are making up an increasing proportion of cinema audiences, with 9.5% of cinema goers in 2015 aged 45 to 54, its highest level since 2008. In 2015, 12.5 per cent of the audience was aged 55 and over, up from 11.5 per cent the year before, and also the highest level since 2008.
And Grimsby is where “Fifty Shades of Grey” was the most popular film for a night out. Grimsby Telegraph – 24 October 2016
India – The most expensive ticket for Diwali release “Ae Dil Hai Mushkil” will set you back INR 2,200 (USD $32.92) at the PVR Director’s Cut in Delhi for its VIP (platinum Superior) seats. Expected it to be sold out all the same. BollywoodLife.com – 5 October 2016
India – Meanwhile in Southern India, where ticket prices are capped by the state governments, a price hike is imminent. Cinemas are expected to be able to charge INR 300 (USD $4.48) for opening weekend and then INR 150-200 (USD $2.24-$2.99). Ticket prices have been kept in check for the past ten years, even as multiplex with higher costs have grown and the much-hated ‘entertainment tax’ has gone up from 10% to 30%. Times of India – 26 October 2016
Korea (Republic of – South) – South Korea is launching a ‘Day of Culture’ when cinema tickets are discounted to KRW 5,000 (USD $4.40) between 9:00 and 17:00 on the last Wednesday of the month with all three big cinema chains (CGV, Lotte and Mega Box). There will also be free or discounted admissions to museums and other cultural institutions. Insight (KR) – 25 October 2016
Spain – The Fiesta del Cine when all cinema tickets are €2.90 has kicked off with a first-day record of 909,442. The event is hoping to break the 2014 record of 2.2 million spectators, though target is 2 million. In May this year the number was 1.7 million and in November 2015 it was 1.9 million. Spanish ticket prices have already dropped on average from €6.97 in 2014 to €6.10 in 2015. El Pais (ES) – 26 October 2016
Access
Japan – Mother and baby screenings are celebrating ten years in Japan, a country famed for its low birth rate. Tachikawa Cinema City introduced ‘baby friendly’ screenings as long as 2007 but only once per year (!) with the film decided by the planning committee. 20,70 people have attended so far, though it is not clear if that count also includes the babies. Tokyo Web (JP) – 25 October 2016
Event Cinema
UK – The Event Cinema Association (ECA) has set up an advisory committee headed by Isabelle Fauchet. The group, which has nine industry members, will raise the profile of event cinema and also act as a lobby and a best practices group. Sounds like what the ECA has been doing all along, but with 155 members, perhaps it needed a smaller core group to focus. Screen Daily – 25 October 2016
Cinema Opening/Closings
Germany – Germany’s highest located cinema is closing for renovation and will re-open in 2018 as a luxury lounge cinema. The Kuppel cinema located in the Hannover on top of the Anzeiger building (16 floors and 200 steps up) with its 12 meter high screen was previously a planetarium. Hans-Joachim Flebbe has together with the Madsack Mediengruppe found a solution that will allow the cinema to become a smaller luxury screen of 28 square meters (previously 36 sqm) with 80 seats. Hannoveriche Allgemeine (DE) – 24 October 2016
Australia – Palace Cinemas will open a new multiplex in Perth as part of the Raine Square re-development. The 12-screen cinema will be a welcome addition to the neighbourhood since the Piccadilly Cinema shut three years ago. The West Australian – 26 October 2016
UK – Birmingham’s Mockingbird cinema in the Custard Factory in Digbeth will go from screening the occasional cult classic to first run features from 18 November. There will be bargain screenings for just GBP £5 for early afternoon screenings and a special menu to accompany films. The 100-seat cinema will offer a ‘fantastic feast’ for the “Fantastic Beasts” opening film. Birmingham Mail – 24 October 2016
Korea (Republic of – South) – Mega Box has opened a multiplex in Jingshan Hayang Point’ in North Gyeongsang Province. The five-screen, 565-seat auditorium cinema is the first and only one in Hayang. Special events and discounts are planned for the opening week. Readers news (KR) – 24 October 2016
Poland – In a further sign of growth of small town bijou cinemas, a 40-seat cinema has opened in the Chorczow Culture Centre. The Grajfka Cinema will have 13 categories of films, including children’s films, Polish films and the latest hits. Since the last cinema in the town of 111,000 inhabitants closed people had to drive to nearby cities to catch any film. Radio Katowice (PL) – 25 October 2016
UK – The Light cinema has opened in Bolton’s Market Place Shopping Centre. Apparently it had a very big launch party. ThisIsLancashire – 24 October 2016
USA (NC) – Morehead Foundry multiplex will open in mid-November at 433 Spring St. in Greensboro, NC. The cinema will feature three eateries, a private bar, an event space and a catering company.
When the multiplex opens, it will debut the eateries Revolution Burger, a fast-casual restaurant serving burgers from grass-fed and finished beef and hand-spun shakes;The Baker and The Bean, a Southern scratch baker with desserts and coffee; andFour Flocks and Larder, an upscale Southern restaurant focusing on chicken, duck, quail and turkey that will also feature a grab-and-go retail component.
Hush, a members-only speakeasy serving cocktails and adult shakes, is also among the new openings.
Sounds tasty. Greensboro.com – 25 October 2016
Finally
Germany – In honour of the renovation of Hangover’s “nosebleed cinema” (above) we look at Germany’s Celebrated Cinemas. One of them has already been our Cinema of the Month. It probably won’t be the last.
Post-war star
While the Zoo Palast was significant for the film industry, Essen’s Lichtburg movie theater was an architectural piece of art. In the 1950s and 60s, it was considered the most important cinema for premiere showings.
We would love to visit them all. DW – 2016
