Cannes dwelling Tom Linay (temporarily) continues his coverage form the world famous film festival, updating us on all the important news.

The talk today has been not so much about films but global warming. Last year, Cannes was unusually wet. Queuing outside for screenings wasn’t pleasant and screening rooms eventually smelled vaguely of wet dog. Maybe it wasn’t so unusual though as two days in to Cannes 2013 and it has rained almost constantly and the forecast suggests it’s not letting up any time soon.

Queuing for over an hour in the rain isn’t bad though when you finally take your seat at the start of the film but two bouts of queuing today were sadly fruitless as the hottest ticket so far, Sofia Coppola’s The Bling Ring proved just too popular. There’s still time to catch it later in the festival but I’m feeling slightly left out of conversations about the new buzz film.

Still, I have managed to catch the opening film, The Great Gatsby (in cinemas now) and as a fully paid up member of the Baz Luhrmann fan club I found much to enjoy. Having not read the book, I came to it with no expectations and found it to be a virtuoso piece of entertainment. The look of the film and costumes were stunning and DiCaprio (as always seems to be the case nowadays) and Carey Mulligan were terrific.

On the slightly smaller scale, I saw micro budget comedy, Frances Ha. In cinemas on 26 July, US indie darling, and co-writer, Greta Gerwig plays Frances, a dancer in New York who is struggling to make sense of her relationships and life in general. In terms of plot, that’s about it and your response to the film will depend entirely on your reaction to Gerwig’s freewheeling, and at times grating performance. Luckily I loved it and found the film utterly charming. Gerwig has already started to break out, with roles in Arthur and No Strings Attached but it’s hard not to hope she keeps making smaller films like this.

One thing Cannes can always be relied on for, is a cracking poster and this year’s is one of the best. It features Hollywood’s former golden couple, Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward and if you’ve not seen it, it can be seen behind the bespectacled berk in the photo below.

Our “Man in Cannes”, Tom Linay, tells us all the big film news from one of the most prestigious film festivals in the world.

You only need to look at the jury for the 66th Cannes Film Festival too see it remains the world’s premiere film festival. It’s like a particularly starry episode of Stella Street, with the most famous of all film directors, Steven Spielberg chairing a jury that also features Nicole Kidman and recent Oscar winners, Ang Lee (Life of Pi) and Christoph Waltz (Django Unchained).

The film selection is equally star-studded, with Baz Luhrmann’s lavish The Great Gatsby (opening today in the UK) kicking off proceedings yesterday and new offerings featuring numerous stars including Ryan Gosling, Justin Timberlake and Emma Watson in various strands of competition.

Films in the main competition that we can look forward to seeing in UK cinemas over the coming year include Only God Forgives (2 August), which sees Ryan Gosling re-team with Drive director Nicolas Winding Refn for a typically stylish, violent Bangkok set crime thriller. There’s also The Immigrant from James Gray (We Own The Night) starring Marion Cotillard, Jeremy Renner and Joaquin Phoenix.

American indie heroes, the Coen brothers will be hoping for Oscar success with their latest, Inside Llewyn Davis (24 January 2014), a comedy drama set amongst the 1960s New York folk scene starring Carey Mulligan, the aforementioned Timberlake and relative newcomer Oscar Isaac. Another main competition entry that is already being talked about as a 2014 awards contender is Nebraska, from Alexander Payne, the genius behind Sideways and The Descendants. There’s also hugely exciting new offerings from perhaps less well known film makers, such as The Past, Asghar Farhadi’s follow up to the sensational Oscar winning A Separation.

In the Un Certain Regard section is The Bling Ring starring Emma Watson and directed by Sofia Coppola (Lost In Translation). Out in the UK on 5 July, it tells the true story of a group of fame-obsessed teens in LA who turn to robbing celebrities houses. One of the busiest men in Hollywood, James Franco is both behind and in front of the camera with period drama, As I Lay Dying.

However, as with any Cannes part of the pleasure comes from stumbling across a film you previously knew little about and there’s always plenty to choose from. It’s also worth noting that unlike other film festivals, all the films at Cannes are free, so you can catch four films a day and pay nothing for the privilege. Just one of the many factors that makes Cannes special. With that in mind, it’s probably about time I found out what all the fuss is about and joined a queue for Gatsby. I can’t think of anything I’d rather be doing.

Digital Cinema Media and UM London has facilitated a deal for  Prime Focus World to convert the Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Honey creative to immersive 3D for Brown – Forman.  It will play in cinemas before Star Trek Into Darkness 3D, which is predicted to take over £25m at the UK Box Office and generate over 4m admissions.

The creative, developed by Arnold, uses the surround sound capabilities of cinema to make the audience feel enveloped by a swarm of bees and then opens on a highly detailed visual of a Jack Daniels stylised bee, in fully rendered 3D.

Brown – Forman describes the product as “Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Honey is crafted with Jack Daniel’s Old No. 7 Tennessee Whiskey. The whiskey is mingled with a honey liqueur resulting in a taste that is authentically Jack and naturally smooth…”

“Cinema provides us with an opportunity to reach our target audience in a highly immersive atmosphere. We loved the original creative we ran in cinema, converting it to 3D was the next step to get even more of a wow factor,” said Andrew Watson, Brand Manager Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Honey UK.

Joe Evea, Commercial Director at DCM said: “I am delighted that Brown – Forman has chosen to tailor their creative to maximise the impact of the cinema environment. We know that 3D advertising in cinema drives higher engagement and increases propensity to purchase. This conversion helps to showcase that 3D is an accessible and relatively cost effective way to make a product stand out amongst its target audience.”

Kamal Korpal, Head of Radio & Cinema at UM London, said: “Last year our 40” cinema advert was a huge success, but this time round we wanted to take it a step further. Partnering with DCM and Prime Focus World to bring 3D into the mix adds an extra layer of entertainment, excitement and screen innovation, which will hopefully appeal to our 18-24 male audience around films we know they love.”

Andrew Bishop, Agency Lead at DCM, organised the deal for screen time in partnership with UM London. Lucy Stern, Head of Content and Distribution at DCM facilitated the 2D to 3D conversion deal, produced by Prime Focus World. The original creative for this campaign was provided by Arnold.

Cinemas across the UK are to broadcast live private viewings of the British Museum’s major exhibition Life and Death in Pompeii and Herculaneum on 18 and 19 June.

The exhibition, which runs until 29 September, is the first ever held on these important cities at the British Museum. Focussing on the Roman home and lives of the people who lived nearly 2000 years ago in Pompeii and Herculaneum, the unique live broadcast event will take cinema audiences back in time in the company of renowned experts and practitioners who, alongside live performances of music, poetry and eye-witness accounts, will bring to life extraordinary objects, some never seen outside Italy before. Interviews throughout the exhibition will be intercut with stunning specially recorded films in Italy, showing Pompeii and Herculaneum and the sleeping Vesuvius.

Curator Paul Roberts presents Life and Death in Pompeii and Herculaneum. Photo credit: Trustees of the British Museum.

Visitors will be taken along a Roman street and into a local house with atrium entrance, bedroom, kitchen, dining room, sitting room and garden.  Experts will take audiences close up to the famous casts of the people caught in the volcanic heat and showcase the objects from their daily lives. Examples include intricate pieces of jewellery, sculpture, mosaics, cooking equipment and even food including an intact loaf of bread with the baker’s stamp still on it.

“Following the success of live cinema broadcasts of theatre, opera and ballet, the British Museum is thrilled to produce and broadcast its live exhibition event,” says British Museum director Neil MacGregor. “This is a unique experience for audiences across the country to enjoy a very special evening view of this unmissable exhibition, full of fascinating objects lent to us from Italy, from the comfort of a cinema chair. It will be a very personal tour guided by experts who will explore the stories these special objects tell us of Roman life 2000 years ago. We hope this will inspire people to travel to come and see the exhibition at the British Museum”.

Curator Paul Roberts presents Life and Death in Pompeii and Herculaneum. Photo credit: Trustees of the British Museum.

The event will be shown through all the major UK cinema groups including Vue, Cineworld, Picturehouse, Empire, Curzon and Odeon as well as independent venues across the UK, all of whom have growing alternative content audiences. Tim Richards, CEO of Vue Entertainment said: “We are hugely excited to be working with the British Museum. This is a wonderful opportunity to continue our commitment in pushing the boundaries of traditional cinema exhibition. Not only are we helping to bring the epic and immense story of Pompeii and Herculaneum to a regional audience, but we’re doing it in a unique, intimate and affordable way that will undoubtedly appeal to our customers.”

John Travers, Alternative Content Manager at Cineworld, said: “At Cineworld we have embraced this exciting and innovative project, as we recognise that it’s a unique opportunity for our customers to experience this once in a life time exhibition in their local Cineworld cinema. As such, we have committed to show these two live events, for both the general public and primary schools, in up to 70 of our cinemas.”

The British Museum will broadcast the adult premiere on 18 June followed by a live transmission for school children across the country on 19 June. Schools all over the UK will have the opportunity to visit their local cinema for a fun, interactive show which will enhance cross curriculum learning.

Follow updates on the exhibition via Twitter on #PompeiiExhibition and the Museum’s Twitter account @britishmuseum.

May and June have some huge releases appealing to a male dominated audience, including Star Trek Into Darkness 3D, Fast & Furious 6, The Hangover Part III and Man of Steel 3D.

The trend carries on for Q3 with high octane movies perfect for a male audience coming thick and fast.

First up on 12 July, is Pacific Rim. Giant sea dwelling aliens have decided to try and make a power move for domination of Earth. Humankind’s response is to unleash skyscraper sized robots weighing in at 2,500 tonnes with some of the most awesome weaponry ever seen on screen.

Hugh Jackman returns to our screens in The Wolverine on 26 July. Wolverine is out of his depth in an unknown world as he faces his ultimate nemesis in a life-or-death battle that will leave him forever changed. Vulnerable for the first time and pushed to his physical and emotional limits, he confronts not only lethal samurai steel but also his inner struggle against his own immortality.

Continuing in the vein of  the White House invasions theme for 2013, White House Down, releasing 6 September, will star Channing Tatum as a Washington cop touring the White House with his daughter, just as a paramilitary group attempts to seize control and kidnap the president.

The next offering from District 9 director, Neill Blomkamp, Elysium, will release 20 September. Starring Matt Damon and Jodie Foster, it will tell how humans have become segregated. The super-rich live in a state of paradise above the earth on a space station, while the rest of the population lives in squalor and poverty on the Earth’s surface. Damon’s character is forced to undertake a mission to try and enter Elysium, which may save his life, but also bring balance to the fragmented human race.

Star Trek Into Darkness has boldly gone where the previous Star Trek movie also went, to the top of the UK box office. An £8.4m opening, including £1.6m from previews, isn’t quite a warp speed start but it’s still significantly higher than the last Star Trek’s £6m three day start. The £6.8m Friday to Sunday weekend is the highest for any Star Trek film and the third highest of the year so far, behind Iron Man 3 and Les Misérables. The majority (59.5%) of Star Trek Into Darkness’ gross was from 3D presentations, which is higher than Iron Man 3 (53.3%).

After two weeks of dominance, Iron Man 3 dropped to second spot, easing 50% to £3.2m and an imposing cume of £31.1m. It has smashed through the target set by the previous two Iron Man films (Iron Man 2 finished on £21.2m) and is setting a benchmark that other live action films this summer will struggle to beat. 21 & Over had an excellent hold, falling just 25% to £581k and a cume of £1.9m. By this time next week, it will have comfortably overtaken Project X’s final total of £2.2m.

Family dance flick, All Stars, experienced an even better hold in fourth place, falling a paltry 12% to £498k but The Croods once again proved a winner, falling a miniscule 3% to £381k and the all-star animation now has a cume of £25.6m.

There was another notable new entry in seventh place, with Matthew McConaughey continuing his career renaissance, as Mud managed £239k from just 70 locations. That gave Mud the third highest location average of the weekend (£3.4k), behind Star Trek Into Darkness and Iron Man 3. Overall the box office was up 36% from last weekend and up 25% from the same weekend last year.

In the US, on its second weekend, Iron Man 3 achieved the fourth highest second week ever, easing 58% to $72.5m. After just 10 days on release, it has grossed a huge $284.9m. Lavish literary adaptation, The Great Gatsby, opened with $51.1m, which is the third-highest second place opening ever. The audience was 59% female and 69% were over 25.

Pain and Gain fell one spot to third with $5m, which is a solid hold (33%), and to date has grossed $41.6m. Tyler Perry experienced a rare failure in fourth spot as Tyler Perry Presents Peeples opened with just $4.9m. 42 completed the top five with $4.7m for a cume of $84.7m.

Last week, DCM and Pearl & Dean partnered to present a week of events for Carat on Redefining Cinema.

The programme of events included an introduction to the week from DCM’s Simon Rees, CEO  and Joe Evea, Commercial Director and Kathryn Jacob, Chief Executive of Pearl & Dean. They jointly delivered a “state of the nation” session, showing the progress of cinema since switching to digital and the possibilities now available to advertisers using the big screen, such as flexibility in campaign start dates, the ability to book by the day and make copy changes.

The second session of the week covered insight and knowledge, detailing four key audiences that cinema can provide, including 15 to 34 year-olds, families, 18 to 30 year-old men and the ABC1 audience.

Wednesday’s session was all about Sponsorship and Partnerships. The digital revolution has made cinema far more accessible to brands, and has allowed DCM to be more creative and to offer bespoke solutions such as the Opening Weekends package. This lets brands sponsor the first weekend of movies when they are released, perfect for capturing the early adopter audience.

The final session of the week was a Q&A, hosted by Tom Linay and featuring Michael Kalli (Head of Corporate Sales & Advertising, Vue Entertainment), Robin Kinsey (Senior Media & Marketing Manager, Disney Studios UK) and Gerry Cottle (Director, Rooftop Film Club).

They covered emerging technologies in cinema, such as Dolby Atmos. Michael Kalli remarked “The walls literally shake.” He added “You have to cater for your audiences, providing different environments and choices dependent on each film.”

Other subjects included the merits of original content versus franchises, the storytelling power of the big screen, the collective, immersive, social experience of going to the cinema, how cinema provides an appointment to view in a multi-screening world and whether Cinema is prepared for the challenge of the growing number of online film platforms .

“VOD isn’t a threat to cinema, in fact it gets people more interested in film” said Robin Kinsey. “TV, VHS and the web had been seen as threats to cinema, but we should all be working together to build on peoples love of films.”

“Cinema is about escapism. Consumers crave content and cinema delivers this experience second to none” said Gerry Cottle. He also said pop up cinemas were “bringing back a sense of community and reinforcing the shared experience of cinema”

The Tivoli Theatre in Wimborne was built in 1936 as a combined cinema theatre and the tradition of showing both films and live stage shows continues to the present day. Big audiences for major shows were traditional at the Tivoli and the theatre has once again achieved the status of a major 500 seat venue. Local people enjoy the finest and latest films available with full surround sound.

DCM Close Up spoke to the Tivoli’s Theatre Manager, Charlie North Lewis, on his career in cinema and why the Tivoli has become such an integral part of the local Wimborne community.

How did you end up working in  cinema and what do you love about it?

I was working at BAFTA when I saw an advert in The Stage for a manager at The Tivoli Theatre in Wimborne and so I applied in the knowledge that cinema was a large part of the programming.

I love picking films for the venue and I enjoy trying to find films that are interesting as well as (hopefully) commercial.

What’s unique about your cinema? 

It’s independent, Art-Deco and mainly staffed by volunteers. It had been ‘dark’ for many years until it was brought back to life 20 years ago and it has gone from strength to strength. Also, we don’t sell hot dogs or popcorn!

Does your cinema put on any special events?

We also present live performance as well with a strong emphasis on music and comedy. We have presented acts such as Eddie Izzard, Al Murray, Jim Davidson, Lee Evans, Michael McIntyre, Des O’Connor and Jack Dee. Music acts have included Charlie Watts, Chris Farlowe, Ginger Baker, Albert Lee, Joe Brown, Andy Fairweather Low, Paul Jones with both The Blues Band and The Manfreds, Stan Tracy, Chris Barber, Cleo Lane and Lesley Garrett among many others.

What excites you most about the future of the cinema industry?

The films just keep getting better and directors such as Ben Affleck are making great movies.

What is your favourite movie and why? 

There are too many to choose from, but probably Some Like It Hot because I’m a big Jack Lemmon fan. I’ve just seen Promised Land which I really liked.

What film role would you like to play why?

Harry Callaghan from the Dirty Harry series because Clint Eastwood’s just so cool!

What do you think are the most iconic cinema ads and why? 

The Volkswagen ads because they’re funny and memorable.

Is there anything else that you would like to add about your cinema or yourself?

My cinema has become one of the biggest draws in the area for people from outside our postcode which can only be good because the knock on effect from that means that more people spend more within the town and the bars and restaurants in particular, benefit from what we present.

We have managed to stay afloat during these tough economic times and a large part of our recent success has been down to the cinema turnover and the right films for our audiences are being made.

As for myself, I’ve led quite an interesting life so far and met some very interesting people, many of whom I have admired from afar and I now know them personally.

DCM Close Up would like to share your cinema’s news with all our exhibitors nationwide. To feature your site in this spot, please contact rebecca.rau@dcm.co.uk.

Showcomotion Young People’s Film Festival returns to the Showroom Cinema in Sheffield from Saturday 6 to Sunday 21 July with another terrific line-up of film screenings for schools and families. The first weekend of public screenings kicks off on Friday 12 July with a special preview of From up on Poppy Hill, the new film from the renowned Japanese animators, Studio Ghibli, due to be released in the UK in August. It is a beautifully animated coming-of-age love story set in 1963 as Japan reinvented itself after the devastation of World War Two.

The festival selects a diverse and innovative range of films produced for young people, which would not otherwise be screened in the UK. Priority is given to films representing the lives of children from around the world and addressing issues which are pertinent to groups of young people. The festival was developed in response to the lack of culturally diverse films for young audiences being distributed in the UK other than big budget American product. The festival recognises and celebrates cultural diversity but also universality within experiences of childhood. Films from Iran, Russia, Latvia, Germany, Spain, The Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden and France have been shown during Showcomotion. UK production for this audience is also limited particularly when compared to other European countries such as Sweden and Denmark or indeed less wealthy countries such as Iran. The festival strives to show UK films made for a young audience.

Young people are encouraged to find out about the art and craft of film making by taking part in workshops and masterclasses such as scriptwriting, film certification and screen acting. The festival’s Youth Jury scheme provides a valuable experience for young people wishing to pursue a career in the media.

In true Showco tradition, the Opening Gala will start the festival off with a bang, with a fancy dress competition and very special guests, including the Lord Mayor of Sheffield. Last year the Showroom’s Chefs rustled up a feast worthy of Willy Wonka with homemade sweets and ice cream for everyone who attended the Opening Gala. This year plans are afoot for an even more spectacular array of treats, all homemade in the Showroom kitchen.

Showroom Cinema and Workstation Creative Business Centre is based in a converted 1930’s building, located in the centre of Sheffield close to the train station. The once derelict building was acquired for redevelopment by Sheffield Media & Exhibition Centre Ltd (SMEC) in 1989 and opened in stages from 1993-1998. It is now an internationally significant cultural centre and hub for the region and a treasured independent cinema.

Tickets for the Showco Opening Gala screening of ‘From up on Poppy Hill’, along with the rest of the festival programme, will be on sale from 22 May.

To keep up with all things Showco: www.showcomotion.org.uk
Follow @showcomotion on Twitter

www.showroomworkstation.org.uk

Once again, the leviathan that is Iron Man 3 dominated the weekend’s box office, amassing a further £6.3m from Friday to Sunday. Including Bank Holiday Monday, the Marvel blockbuster has a sensational cume of £26.2m. This performance is more akin to Avengers Assemble than any previous Iron Man film, which on its second weekend in May 2012 grossed £8.1m.

With strong competition from Star Trek Into Darkness from this Thursday onwards, an Avengers sized final total of £50m looks out of reach for Iron Man 3 but £40m is achievable and would be a fantastic result.

Second spot was taken by raucous comedy 21 & Over, which opened with £772k from Friday to Sunday and including Monday, stands on £945k. The best comparison is probably February 2012’s Project X, which opened with £562k and finished on £2.2m.

Olympus Has Fallen continued its impressive performance in third place with £673k from Friday to Sunday and including Monday, the brutal Gerard Butler thriller now has a cume of £5.3m.

New British family film, All Stars, opened in fourth place, taking £564k over the weekend and £797k including Monday. This is a solid performance for independent distributor Vertigo and their second success story in just over a month after Spring Breakers.

The Croods rounded out the top five with £395k over the weekend. The extra £157k it added on Monday pushed it over the £25m mark and it now stands on £25.1m.

There were a couple of other notable new entries, with Pedro Almodovar comedy I’m So Excited disappointing slightly, taking £311k from Friday to Monday (including £58k from previews) and Colin Farrell thriller Dead Man Down managing just £294k. Overall the box office was down 40% from last weekend and down 45% from the same weekend last year, when American Reunion had two full days of previews. With Star Trek Into Darkness arriving in cinemas this Thursday, expect that to turn around.

In the US, Iron Man 3 opened with $174.1m, the second highest opening weekend of all time. It’s also a big improvement on Iron Man 2‘s $128.1m. The audience was 55% over 25 and 61% male.  All other films played second fiddle to Iron Man 3 this weekend and Pain and Gain had a tough time of it, falling 63% to $7.5m for a cume of $33.8m.  Baseball drama 42 fell 43% to $6.1m for a cume of $78.2m.

Oblivion was the biggest Iron Man 3 casualty, falling a whopping 68% to $5.6m and a cume of $75.8m. The Croods completed the top five with $4.2m and a total of $168.7m.