The European Digital Cinema Forum (EDCF), the home of professionals and technologists working for and in the digital cinema industry in Europe, has appointed a new board: Cathy Huis in ‘t Veld-Esser, CTO of Gofilex will serve as the EDCF’s new President. She will take over from David Hancock, Chief Analyst, Media and Entertainment at OMDIA who held the position from 2015 and had been a board member since 2010. Julian Pinn, founder of Julian Pinn Ltd. and an active board member for many years, has been appointed Vice President. Tammo Buhren, CEO of zweiB GmbH and Vandors GmbH, will continue to serve as the organisation’s treasurer.

Statements:

“I thank my fellow board members for their trust in me and David for his great work. I look forward to working closely with the EDCF board to further grow the EDCF so we can contribute even more to the film industry and its future (technical) challenges. Knowledge is key and that is where organisations like the EDCF step in. With guidelines, recommendations and best practices we empower cinemas in Europe so that they can take full advantage of their digital cinema installations. In my new role as EDCF president I will make sure and that our European voice is heard throughout the industry.”

– Cathy Huis in ‘t Veld-Esser, EDCF President

“After seven years as President of EDCF, and 14 years as a Board member, which I was honoured to serve before stepping down over summer, and having led the EDCF through a period of strategic change after the digitisation of cinemas was completed, I am proud to be leaving the organisation in a secure financial and administrative position with a new sense of purpose. I am more than delighted to welcome my good friend and industry colleague Cathy as our new President. She has the support and goodwill of the Board. EDCF members can look forward to a fresh and energetic start following the COVID break.”

– David Hancock, outgoing EDCF President

“I’ve been a long-standing supporter of the EDCF and I have appreciated very much the great work its members have done over the years and decades. The EDCF brings focus to big topics of the day that are important to air, to discuss, and to comprehend. Not only does the EDCF bring this educational, knowledge-sharing role, but it also gives Europe an important coordinated voice within the global industry. Much work went into the original standardisation and stabilisation of Digital Cinema to protect the well-established high quality and ease of international interchange that came with film, but the industry continues to change, the needs of each stakeholder continue to evolve, and the pandemic only served to accelerate certain aspects of this change. As such, the EDCF continues to be an important forum to this day, and I support it wholeheartedly in my role on the board as we bring together the right value-mix for our members as we embrace a new future together.“
– Julian Pinn, EDCF Vice President

“The cinema market has always been a demanding one. At the same time, cinema has inspired people for generations. I think the EDCF is in an excellent position to help the industry to overcome the current market swings, and I look forward to playing an active role in shaping the industry in the future.”
– Tammo Buhren, EDCF Treasurer

The new EDCF board will serve for a term of 2 years.

About the EDCF
The European Digital Cinema Forum (EDCF) is a not-for-profit volunteer organisation funded by its suscribing members. It acts as a “Forum” to discuss key issues surrounding Digital Cinema in Europe. The purpose of EDCF is to provide a basis of common understanding across all European territories of the business and technical matters of digital cinema. We were established in 2000, before the widespread rollout of digital cinema technology, in order to accompany the rollout and minimise any impact on European cinema, as well as putting forward a European point of view of cinema technology within global standards organisations. Our work has now widened to include all technologies in cinema. Membership is open to any organisation or individual with a genuine interest in furthering the knowledge and understanding of Digital Cinema.