Yelmo Cines has become Spain’s first exhibitor to become 100 percent digital. Following last year’s announcement that Arts Alliance Media were to digitize Yelmo’s entire circuit all 402 screens in 34 sites across Spain are now equipped with DCI-compliant digital equipment including 193 screens outfitted with RealD 3D screens. Arts Alliance Media and Yelmo Cines have been working together on the digital cinema rollout since 2008 when AAM installed digital equipment in five screens of Yelmo’s new Izla Azul complex in Madrid. Fernando Évole CEO of Yelmo Cines says “In Yelmo Cines we’ve always bet on innovation and the best technologies available on the market because we believe our audience deserve to have the best cinema experience possible. With this latest move we´re able to provide unsurpassed image and sound quality thanks to being the first Spanish exhibitor to be 100 percent digitized.” Howard Kiedaisch CEO of Arts Alliance Media says “Working with Fernando and the team at Yelmo over the past three years has allowed us both to learn a great deal and benefit from each other’s digital experience and we’re delighted that they’ve been proactive and enthusiastic enough to be the first fully digital cinema chain in Spain.” Enrique Martínez technical director of Yelmo Cines says “To install 402 screens in 12 months has been made possible through hard work by AAM Kelonik and all departments at Yelmo and we’ve achieved our goal and are very proud to be the first 100 percent digital chain in Spain. The quality of service from AAM and Kelonik has meant a seamless installation period and we look forward to working with them to maintain our new equipment to the highest standards.” Guillaume Thomine-Desmazures sales manager for AAM in Spain adds “It’s been a great experience working with Yelmo to achieve this digital cinema first in Spain and we look forward to continuing to work with them to ensure they can reap all the benefits of digital cinema across their whole circuit.” The installation and maintenance of the screens was carried out by AAM in conjunction with local Spanish integrator Suministros Kelonik. Tomás Naranjo CEO from Kelonik says “For Kelonik it has been a real challenge to complete this roll out with Yelmo and AAM in record time. Only the very close collaboration and the great professionalism of both companies made it possible to achieve it with the highest standard of quality.” All sites are equipped with AAM’s theatre management system and library management server. All sites have also been equipped with satellite systems from AAM’s partner Arqiva allowing them to show live events and also to receive features and trailers via satellite directly into their servers. Yelmo recently participated in the first transmission of a feature film via satellite in Spain when A Contracorriente’s release El Caso Farewell was distributed this way by AAM to sites across the country. Arts Alliance Media has previously achieved several European digital cinema firsts including the first circuit in France to be fully digital (CGR Cinemas – 400 screens) the first circuit in the UK to commit to being fully digital (Cineworld – 790 screens) and the largest digital cinema rollout in Italy (The Space) all contributing to a total of more than 3000 signed screens as well as many content distribution firsts across Europe. Arts Alliance Media www.artsalliancemedia.com
