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Christie Official Projection Sponsor of the Toronto International Film Festival®

WATERLOO REGION, ON – (September 5, 2008) – Christie, a global leader in visual solutions for business, entertainment and industry, will be digitizing the Visa Screening Room in the historic Elgin Theatre in Toronto, strengthening its leadership role as the official digital projection sponsor for the 33rd Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). Staged from September 4th – 13th, TIFF is the world’s leading public film festival. It features the works of filmmakers from over 60 countries while also highlighting the innovative contributions of Canadian artists.

Christie will provide a total of eight digital projectors, including the Christie CP2000-X DLP Cinema® projector, whose revolutionary split body design allows for greater installation flexibility to meet the limitations of older theatres, such as the Visa Screening Room at the Elgin Theatre.  The Elgin is part of the Elgin and Winter Garden Theatre Centre, a National Historic Site and the last operating double-decker theatre complex in the world.  Highlighting the Christie CP2000-X at the Visa Screening Room will be the Special Presentation of Paramount Pictures’, “Ghost Town” starring Ricky Gervais and Greg Kinnear.

“TIFF has grown to become an international phenomenon, attracting artists from every facet of the filmmaking community,” remarked Natalie Lue, Vice-President of Production and Operations, Toronto International Film Festival Group (TIFFG).  “Christie is among the unique innovators in the industry who share our vision for excellence and support these ground-breaking works by providing cutting edge digital projection technology that accurately reflects the filmmakers’ visions.”

The Gala presentations of Paramount Vantage’s “The Duchess” starring Keira Knightley and “L'Instinct de Mort” distributed in Canada by Alliance Films will be featured on the Christie CP2000-SB digital cinema projector at Roy Thomson Hall.  Steven Soderbergh will showcase his latest digital release starring Benicio Del Toro in “Che”.  The Midnight Madness screening of “Deadgirl” will also be featured on a Christie CP2000-SB for a total of seven 2K digital titles showing at the Festival.
 
“Digital cinema has become the universal standard for out-of-home entertainment, and Christie, which commands 80% of all installations, is helping to transform the movie viewing experience for millions of people worldwide,” noted Andrei Gravelle, Technical Manager, TIFFG. “Thanks to Christie, we are able to meet the growing demand among filmmakers for the superior, razor sharp images of digital cinema to better convey their message.”

In addition to providing four DLP Cinema projectors from the famed Christie CP2000 series, Christie will also provide a wide range of 3-chip DLP projectors to display content from HDCAM in stunning HD resolution.  The digital venues include Roy Thomson Hall, Ryerson Theatre, Isabel Bader Theatre, Cineplex Odeon Varsity 8, Cineplex Odeon Varsity 7, Cineplex Odeon VIP 3, and Cineplex Odeon VIP 4.  Christie also provided the projection system for pre-festival press and industry screenings.

“The Toronto International Film Festival has established itself as a vital component of the filmmaking landscape, acting as a catalyst for promoting innovative works from around the world while also expanding opportunities for local artists,” remarked Dave Muscat, Director of Sales, Christie Digital Systems Canada, Inc. “Like TIFF, Christie is committed to promoting excellence in the arts, using groundbreaking digital technology to ensure the integrity of the artistic vision.”

The 33rd Toronto International Film Festival will host 500 international stars and special guests, including filmmakers, actors, and industry insiders, representing the finest from around the world.  Of the 312 films at the festival, 99 will be presented in digital.  With 32% of films in digital, the digital transition is clearly on its way.

About the Toronto International Film Festival Group

Toronto International Film Festival Group is a charitable, not-for-profit, cultural organization whose mission is to transform the way people see the world through film. Our vision is to lead the world in creative and cultural discovery through the moving image.

About Christie

Christie, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Ushio, Inc., Japan, (JP:6925), is a leader in visual solutions for world-class organizations, offering diverse applications for business, entertainment, and industry. A leading innovator in film projection since 1929 and a pioneer in digital projection systems since 1979, Christie has established a global reputation as a total service provider and the world's single source manufacturer of a variety of display technologies and solutions.  With the acquisition of Vista Controls Systems, Corp., Christie offers the most complete and advanced solutions for cinema, live venues, control rooms, business presentations, training facilities, 3D and Virtual Reality, simulation and education as well as industrial and government environments.  For more information, visit www.christiedigital.com.