As the motion picture exhibition industry enters the second decade of adopting digital technology we at Digital Cinema Report created the Catalyst Award to honor the independent exhibitor who best demonstrates the full capability flexibility and promise of digital cinema. Our overwhelming choice as the Award’s first winner is Galaxy Theatres. Ranked in the top 10 in the U.S. by number of screens Galaxy Theatres operates theatres in California Nevada Texas and Washington. Formed in 1998 its focus is to develop a portfolio of high impact state-of-the-art movie entertainment theatres in selected markets of the western United States. Galaxy’s locations are fully digital and have at least four 3D screens each. In accepting the award Galaxy’s CEO Frank Rimkus said “We are truly honored by your recognition of Galaxy Theatres as a national leader in the use of digital cinema. The technology is providing us tremendous new capability and flexibility in both our programming and operations. It is expanding our core competencies of being a first class entertainment and cultural hub for the markets we serve.” Digital cinema technology is revolutionizing not just how people see movies at their local theatres but is dramatically changing the kinds of things they see. Today when most people think of digital cinema they usually think of 3D and movies like Avatar. That wasn’t possible a decade ago. But the technology also enables theatres to show other kinds of programming. Now the choices include concerts sports opera political and cultural events and increasingly events that can truly enrich a community. In that regard Galaxy has truly been a leader. They are significantly helping to reshape exhibition’s future. There have been numerous special events presented in Galaxy Theatres that are a direct result of this new technology. For example Galaxy’s Theatres hosted the U.S. Air Force’s Thunderbirds their families and Military Dignitaries a private screening of the premiere of the documentary America’s Team Being a U.S. Air Force Thunderbird. But for me the single most exciting moment in the development of digital cinema took place last January when more than two thousand children and educators gathered at Galaxy Theatres in Gig Harbor Washington to participate in an all digital “Day in Space” educational event which featured a live twenty-minute question-and-answer session between students and Expedition 18 astronauts Mike Fincke and Sandra Magnus aboard the International Space Station. Thousands of theatres in the United States and around the world have made the transition to digital technology and more are joining them every day. One theatre in Georgia opened its doors for free and presented the finals of the Little League World Series on the big screen because the local team was in the game and many in the community couldn’t afford to travel to see them play. Many theatres around the country offered the political debates during the 2008 campaign to engage the community and promote open debate. Events like this show just some of the potential this new technology can offer. And the vision of the pioneering men and women who run Galaxy Theatres to explore these innovative applications is why we named them as the first Catalyst Award winner. The Catalyst Award will be presented at a luncheon in Las Vegas March 16th during ShoWest.
