MoviePass has named former product leader at Spotify, Viacom and Comcast, Mike Berkley chief product officer. Berkley’s role at MoviePass will be to lead the product strategy and vision for the MoviePass service, as the company continues its efforts to grow its subscriber base and expand technology integrations with exhibitors and other partners.
Vox Cinemas has signed an exclusive distribution deal with Myrkott, the Saudi production company behind the YouTube animated series Masameer that has attracted more than 700 million views across social media. The development marks the first of its kind deal with a Saudi production company and will see Myrkott content screened across the Middle East and North Africa, including the distribution of a forthcoming feature film based on the YouTube show.
CinemaNext today announced the official opening of CinemaNext Middle East & Africa in Jebel Ali Free Zone, located in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Cinema industry professional Francois Inizan will serve as its general manager.
The Hollywood Section of the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers will delve into the deep history of moving imagery with filmmaker, inventor, and author Lenny Lipton at its monthly meeting March 22 in Hollywood. Lipton will offer a presentation based on his forthcoming book The Cinema in Flux.
Jean-Pierre Decrette, until recently director of development at Cinémas Gaumont Pathé, has been named as the 2018 recipient of the UNIC Achievement Award, given each year in recognition of outstanding dedication and service to European cinema exhibition. The award will be presented as part of the CineEurope Awards Ceremony June 14 at the Centre de Convencions Internacional de Barcelona in Barcelona, Spain.
The Video Advertising Bureau has appointed Lauren Leff as vice president, marketing & communications effective immediately. In this newly created role, Leff will oversee the organization’s internal and external communications supporting the VAB’s advocacy and dedication to providing advertisers and their agencies with the most current and actionable media insights on the expanding world of premium, multi-screen video content.
MoviePass today announced a partnership with the customer experience specialist TaskUs. In addition to partnering with TaskUs, MoviePass has also hired former TaskUs senior manager of client services, Jake Petersen, as the company’s vice president of customer experience.
Fandango says it sold more than thirty percent of all online tickets purchased for Black Panther, making it the largest shares of opening weekend for any movie in the company's 18-year history.
The Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers has issued a call for technical manuscript proposals for the SMPTE 2018 Annual Technical Conference & Exhibition, which will be held October 23-25 at a new venue, the Westin Bonaventure Hotel & Suites in downtown Los Angeles. Authors must submit their proposals by May 28.
National CineMedia is pioneering interactive augmented reality gaming in theaters this spring with the launch of Noovie ARcade, a companion app to NCM’s Noovie pre-show and Lobby Entertainment Network. Noovie ARcade is available in the iOS and Android app stores. NCM expects it to be rolled out nationwide this spring on over 20,600 screens in 1,700 theatres across the country including AMC, Cinemark, Regal Entertainment Group, and 49 other regional and local theater chains.
