BARCO takes digital cinema technology to the top step at the 2003 Cannes Film Festival
Paris, May 9, 2003 – Barco, the projection systems design and development specialist, an official partner of the 2003 Cannes Film Festival, will be the prime mover behind digital screenings at the festival for the second consecutive year. The Company’s involvement goes way beyond a simple technology partnership. Barco’s broader mission is to support the "seventh art" through its transition to digital cinema by enabling film-makers to screen restored and completed films, or films in post-production, in digital format, using Barco systems and equipment installed in the festival’s Official Selection theatres.
Much more than just a technology partnership…As more and more movies are shot in digital format, digital screening increasingly becomes the norm, bringing with it a whole array of technological and strategic imperatives. "Last year, the public was blown away by digital screenings of ‘Spirit’ and ‘Star Wars Episode II’. This year, producers and directors are much more aware of, and favourably disposed toward, the capabilities of digital cinema", explains Sjoerd De Clerck, Managing Director of Barco Digital Cinema.
Barco’s commitment to digital cinema goes way beyond a simple technology partnership. "We aim to provide help and support to film-makers who want to distribute their films in digital format, by enabling them to screen their work under optimum quality conditions", explains Alain Rémond, General Manager of Barco France. "We can see very clearly how the market is developing, and former sceptics are now lining up to come on board with the digital cinema experience!"
Digital screenings in the three Official Selection theatres
Barco’s D-Cine Premiere DP 50 digital projection system will be installed in the festival’s Lumière and Debussy theatres, while the Buñuel theatre will be equipped with a D-Cine Premiere DP 30 digital projector, specially developed for feature screenings in medium-capacity cinemas, and designed to meet the equipment needs of independent networks.
The D-Cine range of projection systems is based on Texas Instruments’ DLP cinema™ technology, which opens up new possibilities for digital production, and is the only display technology to meet the exceptionally demanding requirements of the industry. Barco’s D-Cine Premiere projectors are based on a 35 mm console. The 24 frames per second display and colour processing capability encompassing billions of colour shades enable the system to deliver images that are consistently clean, bright and even, without scratches or flicker.
Barco Digital Cinema Screenings at the 2003 Cannes Film Festival:
- Lumière theatre (Official Selection): ‘Purple Butterfly’, directed by Ye Lou (to be confirmed),
- Debussy theatre ("Un Certain Regard" selection): ‘All Tomorrow’s Parties’, directed by Yu Lik Wai (confirmed),
- Buñuel theatre (Out of competition): ‘The Soul of a Man’, directed by Wim Wenders. Further films are currently awaiting confirmation.
The two technological highlights at this year’s Festival will be the 3-D screening of James Cameron’s film ‘Ghost of the Abyss’ on Saturday May 17 in the Lumière theatre using two Barco R18 high-power projectors, and the screening of the restored version of Charlie Chaplin’s ‘Modern Times’ in the main Lumière theatre to close the festival on May 25.
Five restored films representing the legacy of the art of cinema will also be screened in digital format in the Buñuel theatre using D-Cine Premiere projection equipment based on DLP Cinema™ technology: ‘Le Roi et l’Oiseau’ (1980) by Paul Grimault, ‘Scarecrow’ (1973) by Jerry Schatzberg (winner of the Grand Prix du Festival, 1973), ‘Mildred Pierce’ (1945) by Michael Curtiz, ‘The Adventures of Robin Hood’ (1938) by Michael Curtiz and William Keighley, and ‘Yankee Doodle Dandy’ (1942) by Michael Curtiz.
Finally, this year the Cannes Film Festival will again be awarding the "DVD Collection" and "2003 Cannes Film Festival DVD Prize" label to the best titles in the new DVD and heritage DVD categories. Barco is also a sponsor of the DVD Zone and the DVD awards ceremony, providing its Cine VERSUM 80 HD2 DLP projector for the DVD viewing room. This projector’s exceptional image quality and very low noise generation make it ideal for even the most critical home theatre user.
Full list of Barco products provided for the Festival:
- Lumière theatre: D-Cine Premiere DP 50,
- Debussy theatre: D-Cine Premiere DP 50,
- Buñuel theatre: D-Cine Premiere DP 30,
- 3-D equipment for ‘Ghost of the Abyss’: two R18 projectors,
- Broadcast of live feed from the steps of the Lumière theatre: one R10 projector.
- Marché du film screening room: iQ G300,
- DVD zone: Cine VERSUM 80 HD2,
- Outdoor screen at top of steps: DLite 7.
About Barco
The Barco Group, founded in Belgium in 1934, posted a turnover of €792 million in 2001. As a world leader in imaging technology, the Group’s BarcoProjection division has been designing projection and display systems for over 20 years, and offers innovative, tailored solutions for a broad range of applications that are highly demanding in terms of quality and functionality. BarcoProjection provides cutting-edge solutions to meet the demands of institutions and government agencies, as well as customers in sectors like corporate training, digital cinema, home cinema, event management, indoor/outdoor electronic billboarding and advertising, process control, security, surveillance, simulation and virtual reality. In addition to its role as manufacturer, Barco provides design, consultancy, commissioning and maintenance support for all of its projects and delivered solutions.
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