CinemaNext and Village Cinemas Successfully Launch First Sphera Premium Cinema in Athens

“Since the recent grand opening, the response from moviegoers, national press and social media has been overwhelming,” explains George Christodoulou, CEO of Village Cinemas. “With Sphera, we keep our company on the cutting-edge of innovation while maximizing our revenues, with a 50% increase in average ticket price over a 7-week span. Sphera is a highly-appealing concept described in Greece by leading print and online media as ‘an unprecedented viewing experience’ and ‘the best existing cinema auditorium in Athens with a sense of luxury, first-class approach and a sophistication in terms of design’.”

“We are thrilled with the initial results obtained with Sphera, our turnkey solution designed for small, medium and large-size cinema complexes that helps exhibitors dramatically enhance the audience experience with impressive cinematic visuals, immersive audio and a state-of-the-art contemporary design,” explains Till Cussmann, Senior Vice President, CinemaNext. “Our interactive and proprietary ambient light system has proven particularly efficient in enhancing the movie experience alongside the powerful Dolby Atmos™ sound and high-contrast projection systems. Based on this success, we expect to announce further Sphera cinemas in the coming months.”

The Sphera auditorium at Village Cinemas at The Mall of Athens boasts an impressive 25-meter wide wall-to-wall screen and 669 custom luxury cinema seats. It also includes a high contrast 4K cinema projector, an unrivalled sound system powered by Dolby Atmos™ with an innovative transducer subwoofer as well as a completely new acoustic wall structure. Additionally, it features innovative interactive ambient lighting that is fully automated and compatible with all readily available projectors and servers. Easy to use as there is no specific DCP or programming required, it can apply to all alternative contents, pre-shows, youth-oriented features or even advertising programs.

Sphera also brings programming flexibility: film, arts, gaming, events and concerts are all delivered with the sharpest picture, the deepest sound and in perfect comfort. The components combine to produce a truly immersive effect, opening new worlds for audiences with rich and varied content.

Further information available in Greek at http://www.villagecinemas.gr/el/extras/nea-press-box/vmax-sphera/ Learn more about Sphera at http://www.spheracinema.com

Sphera a is registered trademark of Ymagis Group.

CinemaNext is the Ymagis Group’s business unit dedicated to exhibitor services. Founded in 2007 and managed by professionals from the motion picture and high-tech industries, Ymagis Group is a European leader in advanced digital technology services for the cinema industry. Through CinemaNext and Eclair, the Group provides smart and comprehensive solutions to movie exhibitors, distributors (feature films & event cinema), producers, rights holders, cinema/TV advertising networks, broadcasters, OTT channels and video publishers. Over the years, Ymagis Group has significantly grown its portfolio of solutions & services and further developed its geographic footprint with permanent offices in 25 countries. The company’s core business is structured around three main units: CinemaNext (exhibitor services: sales and field services, software solutions, customer service/NOC and consulting), Eclair (content services: post-production, theatrical delivery, digital distribution, versioning and accessibility, restoration and preservation) and VPF (financial services). A publicly-traded company listed on Euronext, Ymagis Group is headquartered in Paris (France) and counts close to 750 employees. For more information, please connect to http://www.ymagis.com, http://www.cinemanext.digital or http://www.eclair.digital

For over 20 years, Village Cinemas has become synonymous with cinema, entertainment and innovation. Today it owns 7 multiplexes in Athens and the Greek mainland. With 69 fully digitalized auditoriums around Greece (16 of which support 3D technology and – so far – 5 support Dolby Atmos), Village Cinemas steadily invests in the development of new high-quality cinema centers. It recently launched the VKids auditoriums (the first kid friendly auditoriums in Greece) and today owns more than 40% of the market share. For more information: http://www.villagecinemas.gr