29-09-2008

State-of-art E-cinema opens in Budapest

By Laszlo Kriston
    Hungarian distribution and exhibition power house, Budapest Film Zrt. (www.budapestfilm.hu) will open its newly reconstructed Toldi Cinema, the first E-cinema in Budapest, on October 2.

    In addition to the 35mm projection technology, Toldi Cinema will be able to receive safely encrypted, large movie files (whole feature films) and smaller formats (tailers, commercials) via broadband connection and play them digitally, catching up with industry trends as the E-cinema delivery is becoming more widespread in America and across Western Europe.

    Budapest Film positions Toldi as a major cinema for opening the newest digital features. In the framework of the E-Cinema Network, a new initiative, Toldi will premier films such as Sukiyaki Western Django, Sleepwalking, You, the Living and the animated Vexille in Hungary. This year 13 cinemas in Budapest and 20 screening rooms in the countryside are joining the E-cinema alliance in Hungary.

    Following a four and a half months renovation period carried out by HBF Epitoipari Kft, Toldi's big screening room now encompasses a 200-seat audience, while the smaller room has a 60-seat capacity. The cinema is equipped with Dolby Surround and Panasonic BlueRay DVD-projection as well.

    Budapest Film also launched the VOD-market in Hungary by opening a movie download service, Filmklikk (www.filmklikk.hu) last year. Filmklikk will set up its headquarters in Toldi Cinema.