STER-KINEKOR THEATRES OPENS FOURTH IMAX® THEATRE IN NEW CINEMA COMPLEX AT BAYWEST MALL

Following the success of The IMAX Experience® at three popular Ster-Kinekor sites – Gateway in Durban, The Grove Mall in Pretoria and Cape Gate in Cape Town – the country’s leading cinema chain has today (18 June) opened the doors to its fourth IMAX® theatre, and its first in the Eastern Cape province. Movie audiences in Port Elizabeth can now enjoy the world’s most immersive cinematic experience with the opening of a 330-seater IMAX® theatre, which forms part of Ster-Kinekor’s state-of-the-art cinema complex at the newly-opened Baywest Mall.

Popular Metro FM DJ, TBo Touch, welcomed the more than 300 guests to the new Ster-Kinekor site as they settled into the brand new IMAX seats and marvelled at the impressive screen. Following a speech by John Sikiotis, Managing Executive of Ster-Kinekor Theatres, the invited guests enjoyed an exclusive screening of Jurassic World in IMAX® 3D.

“As the country’s leading cinema chain, we are delighted to offer movie fans in Port Elizabeth and surrounding areas some of the world’s most advanced cinemas. At our new site here at Baywest Mall, all eight of the cinemas feature the latest in digital technology and projection for crystal clear images and surround sound, combined with luxury seating to ensure our audiences enjoy ‘Great Moments at their Greatest’ every time they visit one of our cinemas,” says John Sikiotis, Managing Executive of Ster-Kinekor Theatres.

“In the new IMAX theatre, the cinema is fitted with a floor-to-ceiling and wall-to-wall IMAX screen, superior acoustical treatment and IMAX’s projection and sound technology, to provide audiences with maximum immersion. You literally feel as though you are among the thousands of guests visiting the Jurassic World theme park – and getting caught up in the non-stop action too!”

IMAX’s cutting-edge dual-projection system delivers crystal-clear images which, coupled with its customised theatre design and powerful digital sound system, creates a unique environment that makes audiences feel as if they are in the film.

Giovanni Dolci, VP Theatre Development, EMEA at IMAX Corporation, says: “It is wonderful to expand our IMAX network in South Africa with our fantastic partner Ster-Kinekor, so soon after the launches of Gateway, The Grove and Cape Gate. We are impressed with the performance of the first three sites, and look forward to this new theatre achieving equally positive results.

“We entered into the initial partnership with Ster-Kinekor towards the end of 2013 to raise our visibility in South Africa and set the stage for mutual growth opportunities in the region. It is encouraging to see that this is proving fruitful, with the theatre here at Baywest Mall opening just six months after Cape Gate.

“South Africa was one of a number of new markets that we entered in 2013, and it is clear there is a growing appetite for IMAX here. We look forward to working with Ster-Kinekor to further entrench the IMAX brand locally, with two more theatres opening in Johannesburg over the next few months – Cradlestone Mall in July, and Eastgate towards the end of October,” Dolci says.

Today (Thursday, 18 June), the new IMAX theatre, together with the other new cinemas at Ster-Kinekor Baywest Mall, officially open their doors to the public of Port Elizabeth and surrounds. IMAX fans can look forward to all the action, drama and adventure of Jurassic World in IMAX® 3D, which takes the viewing of this adventure film to the next level.

Cine Prestige luxury…

In addition to the IMAX theatre, Ster-Kinekor has other special treats and innovations in store for movie lovers at Baywest Mall. These include two ultra-luxurious Cine Prestige cinemas, two further cinemas with 3D capability, and self-service terminals to buy tickets and pre-order catering.

“We refer to our exclusive Cine Prestige experience as the ‘business-class’ of cinema,” says Sikiotis. “This exclusive cinema format epitomises film-viewing heaven and pure luxury rolled into one. In fact, it has been said by many a Cine Prestige fan that this experience does spoil cinema-viewing in any other format!”

The two Cine Prestige cinemas, fitted with 29 and 39 seats respectively, are entered through an exclusive VIP Lounge area. Here, guests can order from a selection of delicious gourmet platters, coffee and cakes, as well as the mandatory drink and popcorn, which can all be served to them at their seats inside the cinema.

The single and double red leather seats are fully-reclinable at the touch of a button, and ooze lavish comfort. Each chair has a snack tray neatly fitted into it to accommodate the platters and refreshments, and also includes another Ster-Kinekor first: a refrigerated cup-holder to keep your drink cold during the film.

Catering self-service style

At the self-service catering terminals, customers can order their snacks and combos, and make a payment, before proceeding to the catering counter to collect their order. The introduction of this technology streamlines operations at the site, by placing the power of choice directly in the hands of customers. The system offers a simple and efficient user experience with a faster transaction time.

“When we introduced our unique self-service ticket terminals (SSTs) almost ten years ago, we noticed an immediate and significant reduction in queue time. Both terminals assist in offering our customers a seamless experience when buying their tickets and snacks, before entering the cinema to sit back and enjoy the latest blockbuster on our big screens,” states Sikiotis.

For Ster-Kinekor, it is a privilege to be part of the exciting new Baywest Mall development that is set to transform shopping, leisure and entertainment facilities for the people of Port Elizabeth and surrounding areas.

“The magic of the big screen cinema experience cannot be replicated in any other format. We are seeing evidence of this as audiences continue to visit the cinema to watch new releases and appreciate the big blockbuster films in the way they were made to be viewed – on the big screen. With the latest blockbusters releasing each week and eight state-of-the-art cinemas in which to watch them, we are confident that audiences who enjoy a ‘great moment’ at one of our cinemas in Baywest Mall will certainly be back for more,” concludes Sikiotis.

Regular movie-goers can also enjoy further benefits and discounts through membership of the various loyalty programmes associated with Ster-Kinekor – the SK CLUB, Discovery Vitality and Edgars Club. For instant access to find out what’s new, which films are releasing when, and to make a booking, mobile phone users can also download the SK App on their smart phones – and have all the information they need at the touch of a button.

The films releasing at Ster-Kinekor Baywest Mall in its first week of opening, and in addition to Jurassic World that screens in both IMAX® 3D and Cine Prestige, include: Mad Max: Fury Road, Pitch Perfect 2 (also in Cine Prestige), Pixar’s animation Inside Out 3D (also in Cine Prestige), the hilarious Spy, Wild Card (also in Cine Prestige), Survivor and The Rewrite.

For more information about Ster-Kinekor Baywest Mall, visit www.sterkinekor.com or sterkinekor.mobi. Download the Ster-Kinekor app on your smart phone for the latest information and to make bookings. To find out about other exciting offerings and promotions, or follow @sterkinekor on Twitter or on Facebook at Ster-Kinekor Theatres. For queries, contact Ticketline on 0861 Movies (668 437).