Mumbai: Digital cinema player Access Integrated Technologies, Inc. (AccessIT) has signed a 10-year agreement with Overture Films, wherein the latter will provide all of their movies to digital cinema equipped theatres in AccessIT’s Phase one digital cinema plan and will pay virtual print fees (VPFs).
This agreement expands upon the strong relationship the companies have built since Overture’s inception last year, as Overture is already a customer of both AccessIT’s distribution software and satellite delivery services.
Since January Overture has provided digital versions of their movies including Mad Money, Henry Poole Is Here, and Traitor to AccessIT’s Phase 1 network of exhibitors. This agreement serves to formalize the studio’s commitment to supply digital versions of their movies in the future, and to pay VPFs according to a set schedule.
"AccessIT has been a great partner for Overture Films in our inaugural year in the marketplace. From customer support to delivery services, we have been impressed with all they have to offer and we look forward to an expanded relationship as our studio continues to grow bringing digital features to theatres nationwide." said Overture executive vice-president theatrical distribution Kyle Davies.
"The signing of this agreement is a significant commitment by Overture to support the future of digital cinema. We are looking forward to the lineup of movies they will be releasing in digital format, including Righteous Kill which opens at theatres on 12 Sep, as it will support our exhibitor partners’ digital cinema installations and the industry demand for more digital screens," said AccessIT president media service division Chuck Goldwater.
AccessIT’s Digital Cinema division is the industry-leading deployment program for Digital Cinema that provides the funding, installation support and administration for the company’s studio-supported Digital Cinema rollout plans. Its Phase two plan for up to an additional 10,000 screens will provide networked, turnkey, Digital Cinema systems in conformance with DCI specifications, including AccessIT’s unique Library Management Server and Theatre Command Center software. The system will also include digital projectors and JPEG 2000 media servers from a variety of vendors whose equipment is designed to meet the DCI specifications as well as a demanding set of performance and reliability requirements AccessIT developed through its success with the Phase one plan. To date, AccessIT has contracted for and completed the rollout of more than 3,700 systems in forty-one states with exhibitors including Atlas Theatres, Allen Theatres, Carmike Cinemas, Celebration! Cinema, Cinema West, Cinetopia, Emagine, Galaxy Cinema,
Marquee Cinemas, Krikorian Premiere Theatres, MJR Theatres, Neighborhood Cinema Group, Rave Motion Picture Theatres, Showplace Cinemas, UltraStar, and AccessIT’s own Pavilion Digital Showcase Theatre.
