Christie RealLaser, technological flagship at the BFI London Film Festival 2019

Once reserved for the premium cinema market, the pure RGB laser is today an affordable and affordable solution for large cinema exhibitions.

Buoyed by last year's successful debut, Christie is contributing its technology RealLaser for the screenings of the LXIII edition of BFI London Film Festival (LFF) which is carried out in collaboration with American Express and takes place from October 2 to 13.

Once reserved for the premium cinema market, pure RGB laser is now an affordable and affordable solution for major cinema exhibition, making it the perfect technology for the festival's return to the festival of the extraordinarily popular 820-seat Embankment Garden Cinema (EGC).

Described by Dominic Simmons, Head of the festival's Technical Services, as “one of the best ephemeral cinemas I have ever known”, the EGC will host its first international premiere this year (Martin Scorsese's long-awaited film The Irish, from Netflix) in a succession of stellar gala screenings including the opening ceremony with A Personal History of David Copperfield. Christie RealLaser RGB lighting technology will make it possible for the audience attending these sessions to enjoy stunning color and high contrast images.

Christie began working on the BFI's projection facilities when the festival made the bold decision to set up a complete pop-up room, equipped with the latest technology, giving the event a space in the heart of London, but with the tranquility offered by the Embankment Gardens, next to the River Thames. As Simmons explains, "the EGC has become a huge crowd favorite, and in just four years it has earned their love. Many people say it's their favorite cinema and it's a shame it's only open two weeks a year."

And he adds: "And it enjoys the affection, not only of the audience and the festival staff, but of the film directors themselves, who often express their surprise at the quality of the projections. I once heard one of them say that it was the place where his film had been shown with the highest quality. It is a facility with the highest specifications, and that is what we wanted. It is as good as a permanent cinema, especially thanks to the use of Christie RealLaser projection, with its brilliant colors, superior color range and a higher contrast.”

The London Film Festival program, the largest film event in the United Kingdom and one of the most important festivals in the world, runs from October 2 to 13, offering British audiences the opportunity to see some of the most anticipated films from around the world, with 28 world premieres, 12 international premieres and 28 European premieres. The festival will close with the international premiere of The Irishman, in which Scorsese once again uses Robert De Niro, Al Pacino and Joe Pesci to create a great epic work. The festival has already announced the attendance of the director and the protagonists of the film at the premiere.

The projector Christie CP4330-RGB offers both exhibitors and theatergoers a level of image quality impossible to achieve with any other cinema projection system. That level of performance is achieved by combining 4K resolution, a wider color gamut close to the 2020 color space recommendation, and contrast ratios that far exceed the DCI specification. All of this gives the image a new depth of detail. If we add the HFR (high frame rate) capabilities and the contrast of up to 6000:1, the CP4330-RGB stands as an undisputed benchmark for large commercial cinema exhibition.

For exhibitors, the benefits of Christie RealLaser lighting go beyond projecting the image on the screen. Using its thermal engineering expertise and strategic development with suppliers of next-generation, highly efficient laser diodes, Christie has delivered a truly affordable, direct-coupled, pure-laser RGB projector.

How do you explain Phil Lord, Director of Cinema Sales at Christie, "There is no need to resort to cumbersome and noisy external refrigerators, spend fortunes on fiber coupling, or worry about a possible lack of space when equipping an existing projection booth. All of these advantages apply to temporary cinemas, such as the Embankment Garden Cinema."

The Christie RealLaser system provides more than 30,000 hours of optimal operation before dropping to 80% of its original brightness, which, in a typical theater, is equivalent to more than eight years of stable operation, without compromises in quality and virtually maintenance-free. No other lighting technology stands up to comparison.