MUMBAI: GDC Technology has sealed an agreement with Shochiku Co., under a VPF program to supply DCI-compliant digital cinema equipment to Shochiku Multiplex Theaters (SMT), a wholly owned subsidiary of Shochiku.

Under the VPF program, participating studios will temporarily provide financial contributions towards the DCI-compliant digital equipment, thus exhibitors will greatly benefit from a reduced capital outlay and low risk. Deployment offered by GDC and USHIO under the VPF program is extremely favorable amongst exhibitors as it provides the highest quality products with the least capital expenditures. This agreement will involve the deployment of GDC servers and Christie projectors across Shochiku and SMT theatres totaling more than 200 screens. 

Shochiku currently possess 32 movie theatres and 305 screens (including joint ventures) in Japan. “We were excited to learn that GDC and USHIO are jointly offering this new VPF program,” said Shochiku managing director Theatrical exhibition and SMT CEO Atsushi Nakajima. “GDC and USHIO are the obvious choice for our digital cinema deployment. Based on their highly successful track record, we believe they can provide the highest quality products combined with reliable long-term services.”

“We are delighted to expand our partnership with Ushio to provide digital cinema solution to Shochiku, which is a prestigious and oldest entertainment company found in 1895,” said GDC Technology founder and CEO Dr. Man-Nang Chong. “We are glad that more exhibitors are recognizing the benefits of GDC’s VPF program. And we are confident that this collaboration will not only heighten the cinematic experience for moviegoers, but also ensure Shochiku is served with top quality and future proof digital cinema technology.”