30/06/2011

Finnkino – Finland’s largest cinema circuit, which was recently taken over by Swedish equity group, Ratos (read the news) – has clinched a deal with UK’s Arts Alliance Media to digitise its national chain of 88 screens across 14 sites.

Arts Alliance, which already has more than 3,000 European screens signed up to its vpf (virtual print fee) contracts, will convert the theatres to DCI-compliant digital cinema over the next 18 months.

”The agreement helps us to bring our whole circuit to the digital era, and ensures a fast roll-out, creating new opportunities for developing the cinemas, operations and concepts to benefit our customers and the company,” said Finnkino CEO Liisi Jauho.

”We have worked with Finnkino to find a model that fits the company’s requirements – our options do not only help cinemas from new to digital,” added Arts Alliance CEO Howard Kiedaisch – the firm will be the scheme’s exclusive integrator.

Finnkino screens that are already digitised will be included in the deal; all sites will be installed with Arts Alliance theatre-management systems, library-management servers and satellite receivers for films and live events.

Also operating in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, Finnkino controls 25 cinemas with 161 screens and approximately 30,000 seats in the region, which last year sold 9.9 million tickets to achieve a €88.6 million turnover.