Second Digital Projector For Illusium

A second Christie CP2000 digital cinema projector has been installed in Russia/CIS, at the same time providing the country with one of its first 3D cinemas.
The new four-screen multiplex called 'Illusium' is in Naberezhnye Chelny, the second city in the Tatarstan Republic, with a population of 500,000. Moscow-based integration company Kino Proekt Engineering, has been a long-time partner of Christie, helping them to establish first a 35mm cinema market and now pioneering digital cinema technology.
Kino Proekt technical director, Alexander Rubin, who specified the technology infrastructure and carried out the design and installation, reports that aside from being the first cinema of its kind in the Tatarstand Republic, it is only the second 3D cinema in the whole of Russia and the CIS (the first, in St. Petersburg, also features the CP2000).
With all four screening rooms in Naberezhnye Chelny equipped with Christie CineX35 35mm equipment and Outline loudspeakers (in Dolby Digital 5.1), Christie's flagship D-cinema projector and Doremi Cinema's DCP-2000 JPEG2000 Cinema Server have been added to the projection room in the main theatre, which seats 155.
Alexander Rubin explains when the decision was taken to completely renovate the original one-screen cinema in the city to incorporate the three additional screens, as well as a casino, restaurants, bars and a fast food area, his company was invited to tender. "We have developed the relationship with the owners over nearly a decade - including the installation of nightclubs as well as cinemas; our appointment was based on our competitive pricing, trust over a long period and on the strength of our technical drawings and calibrations.
Rubin's company are doing much to spread the message about D-Cinema in Russia. At the last KinoExpo Exhibition in St. Petersburg they hosted a Digital Cinema Day seminar, inviting Doremi, QuVIS, Christie and Christie/AIX to present lectures.
The new cinema will show first run Hollywood blockbusters including Night At The Museum (in both 35 mm and DCI JPEG2000 formats).
Rubin is delighted with the early impact his company are making in the brave new world of digital but realises that Kino Proekt face a long fight ahead. "The digital era is just beginning and film distributors, with a 35mm business to preserve, are not yet showing loyalty to the new format," he said. "In some instances 3D films are available but the Russian distributors have no screening rights. However, we expect the position to ease during 2007."
(DS/SP)