Global leader in visual displays and audio technologies, Christie, has been confirmed as technical partner of the Cannes Film Festival for another three years.
The signed deal makes this Christie’s ninth consecutive year as solutions provider for the festival’s movie screenings and reflects the company’s level of expertise within the digital cinema industry.
“Would Cannes Festival have known the development of D-cinema over the past few years without Christie’s knowledge and technical involvement?” remarked Thierry Fremaux, General Delegate of Cannes.
Richard Nye, Cinema Sales Director, Christie EMEA, said technology was “an unsung hero” of modern cinema: “Interestingly, in the time we’ve been partnering with Cannes, projection technology has been part of a shift in cinema. The transition from film to digital and DCI compliance is something we have led.”
Over 1, 000 digital screenings are planned this year, more than ever before. Christie is supplying 31 projectors from its Solaria® series, supporting a variety of screen sizes and formats. Also planned is a first-time ever 4K screening on the beach.
“One of the directors has digitally re-mastered a film in 4K so we were asked to provide a CP4230 projector (a 4K DCI compliant projector for the largest screens sizes) for the Cinema de la Plage, ” explained Pascal Gervais, Christie Regional Sales Director for France. “We were already providing CP4230s for the 4K in all the bigger halls such as Lumiere, Debussy and Soixantième. The projector can switch from 4K to 2K, depending on which film is showing, so other material can be screened.”
Festival highlights include the highly anticipated screening of George Miller's Mad Max: Fury Road at the Grand Théâtre Lumière.
“Cannes is proud to be able to offer producers who have come from all over the world, the best possible projection environment, so their work is shown as world premieres and they are guaranteed a level of quality that everyone knows is the best in the world, ” commented Thierry Fremaux.
Nye added: “We are proud supporters of cinema as an art form, working behind-the-scenes more than people realise as part of our commitment to and relationship within the industry.”
