MUMBAI: Arts Alliance Media (AAM), Europe’s leading digital cinema provider and Yelmo Cines, have inked an agreement to equip 18 new screens in 18 different sites throughout their chain with digital cinema, 3D and satellite capabilities.

The deal follows AAM installing digital projection equipment in five screens at Yelmo’s Isla Azul complex in Madrid last summer, meaning a total of 23 screens will be equipped with DCI-compliant systems over the next few months. AAM will procure, install, service and maintain all equipment, in conjunction with its local integrator partner, Suministros Kelonik, Spain’s leading equipment installer. Yelmo and AAM have jointly selected Christie projectors and Doremi servers for the deployment.

Arts Alliance Media digital cinema senior vice president Gwendal Auffret said, “We are very proud to be moving forward in our collaboration with a major cinema chain like Yelmo Cines. Digital cinema, 3D and alternative content will certainly be huge assets to exhibitors, in particular in Spain, where the market has been tough in the past few years. We believe Yelmo is right in being forward thinking and taking the lead with this technology as they have always done before.”

Yelmo Cines CEO Fernando Evole added, “The digital cinema trial that we have been carrying out at Isla Azul has been a great success and now we are very excited about our partnership with AAM to deploy digital systems for 3D at 18 of our sites. At the same time we will keep working together with our partner AAM to expand digital cinema in Spain.”

The deal is a step forward in collaboration between Arts Alliance Media and Yelmo Cines with the aim of digitising all of Yelmo’s screens.

AAM CEO Howard Kiedaisch said, “We are honoured to have been chosen by Yelmo to continue the digital rollout in Spain and are committed to helping them convert to digital as part of AAM’s aim to continue to expand Europe’s leading digital cinema network.”