The Big Picture

The International Union of Cinemas (UNIC), the body representing European cinema trade associations and operators, today issued a statement condemning Universal Studios' reported decision to stream movies the same day they are released to theatres. Here is the UNIC statement:

The current pandemic has placed critical pressure on the global cinema community with the exhibition sector in most major markets being forced to shut down as governments seek to prevent the spread of the virus by limiting mass gatherings and social interactions. The London-based trade group Cinema Technology Community has offered steps to take to safely close movie theatres and what measures should be taken when reopening once the COVID-19 crisis passes.

Late last month, John Fithian, president and CEO of the National Association of Theatre Owners and Mitch Neuhauser, managing director of the trade show CinemaCon issued a joint memo to the industry acknowledging that while the Coronavirus or COVID-19 is a serious concern, CinemaCon 2020 is still set to convene March 30 at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas. Digital Cinema Report published that memo http://bit.ly/2uQJITK in its entirety. This week the two men issued another memo detailing the many precautions that are being taken to ensure the safety of everyone who attends the convention.

The ISE Digital Cinema Summit convenes Wednesday, February 12 at the Okura Hotel in Amsterdam the Netherlands. The central question of the event is: where do movies and movie theatres fit in the 21st century? The theme of the half-day event is The Changing Cineplex. During the event we will highlight how advances in digital cinema technology are reshaping movie theatres and the entire movie-going experience.