This is the first time the event, the most important film festival in the Spanish-speaking world, has used digital cinema projectors, meeting DCI standards. Another first for the festival is the screening of 3D films, to be shown at the local velodrome to audiences of 3,000 spectators.

“We are very excited with our first experience in digital projection and 3D. Christie’s groundbreaking DLP Cinema projectors are helping us fulfil our dream of turning the velodrome into Europe’s biggest 3D theatre,” says Ricardo Aldarondo, from the San Sebastian Film Festival committee. “The Festival wanted to demonstrate its commitment with this format and to ensure maximum quality and spectacle. Digital projection significantly enhances the movie-going experience by giving the audience a real added extra.”

Kelonik has equipped the festival’s various screening theatres with six 2K DLP Cinema® projectors from the Christie CP2000 range, each one chosen individually to guarantee the highest quality of projection to match the specific features of each venue. “Kelonik decided to use Christie projectors in the festival’s theatres because of our experience working with their proven quality and reliability, something backed up by Christie’s world leadership in digital projection,” says Tomás Naranjo, general manager of Kelonik.

For the Victoria Eugenia theatre, the Kursaal chamber room and the Principal theatre, Kelonik has opted for the Christie CP2000-ZX model, while for the Kursaal Auditorium (venue for screening movies in the Official Section, plus the opening, closing and awards ceremonies) Christie CP2000-SB was chosen. Finally, the Antonio Elorza velodrome, transformed into a gigantic 3D projection theatre for the duration of the festival, has been equipped with two Christie CP2000-XB projectors and the XpanD 3D active glasses system.

Around 3,000 spectators per projection will be able to enjoy the 3D experience on a gigantic 400 square metre screen, making the velodrome Europe’s largest 3D digital cinema theatre. The venue will premiere in Spain the films Battle For Terra, Oceanworld and the 3D version of Toy Story, plus a projection of The Nightmare Before Christmas.

The Christie CP2000-ZX, CP2000-SB and CP2000-XB projectors use Christie Brilliant3D™, a technology improving brightness while keeping operating costs to a minimum thanks to a unique lens system proving ideal for 3D projections. But apart from an increase of 50% in brightness in comparison with previous systems, this technology allows exhibitors to project 3D films in their largest screens while reducing their lamp and energy costs.

“It is an enormous privilege for us to see our digital projectors playing a key role in such an important event as this,” claims Richard Nye, Christie’s Senior Market Development Manager for Cinema in EMEA, adding, “we are thrilled that our D-Cinema projectors are being used at the San Sebastian Film Festival, and we are particularly delighted with the organisers’ decision to opt for 3D in a venue as spectacular as the velodrome.”

In turn, Tomás Naranjo from Kelonik added that “it is a source of pride for Kelonik that the San Sebastian Film Festival has been renewing its faith in us year after year for over three decades, and now to be able to supply the new digital and 3D technology. We believe that it is a wise move for the festival to incorporate this technology given the spectacle it ensures for viewers on a level that has never been seen before in cinemas. Besides, the festival has been able to adapt itself to the new tendencies that big US producers are currently developing and offering to cinema theatres. Indeed, 3D digital cinema is no longer a new experience in cinemas, but a reality confirmed by box office success worldwide.”

For Antonio Abad, head of Christie in Spain and Portugal, “digital cinema, and very particularly 3D, are increasingly central in projection and this is largely thanks to the support they are getting from the big Hollywood studios. Top festivals like Cannes, Venice and Toronto have already incorporated digital projection and we are delighted that the San Sebastian Film Festival has chosen our projectors for its first incursion into digital cinema.”

At present, Christie is manufacturing the most widely used digital cinema projectors, conceived to meet the standards set by DCI. To date, Christie has clocked up a record 7,500 active installations of 2K digital cinema around the world, a figure confirming Christie’s position as the undisputed leader in digital cinema, doubling the number of 2K digital cinema installed by any other manufacturer.

 www.christiedigital.com/emeaen