An email I received this morning:
Dear Ms. Wallace,
Your email was forwarded to me by Antonietta as I head up distribution for National Geographic Cinema Ventures.
First off, thank you very much for taking the time to write to us and express your desire to see U23D come to Edmonton. The film has garnered unbelievably outstanding reviews and has already opened very successfully in Vancouver, Winnipeg and Toronto, and, we have actually received a few other emails from your fellow Edmontonians.
Please know that nothing would make us happier then to see the film play in Edmonton. As for why it has not played there yet, please know it is not for lack of trying on our part. Cineplex is a valued and very important customer and we have been talking with them about the film for a while. They like the film very much and have already had a successful first run in their Toronto Imax theater and will be opening it in one of their digital 3D theaters in Ontario this Friday as well. However as a leading multiplex exhibitor they have many films to exhibit and unfortunately, they had made prior commitments for their Imax theater in Edmonton so could not participate in our original launch in late January. As you may know, programming for Imax theaters often sees films open at different times even in the same country. In fact, U23D will not makes it Quebec (Montreal & Quebec City) premiere until April.
However, all is not lost and there remains a possibility that the film will come to Edmonton sometime in March. Our discussions with Cineplex have been positive and at this time, they are looking at their existing programming commitments to see if something can be worked out for Edmonton and/or maybe even Calgary too.
At the end of the day, the decision to take the film rests with Cineplex and we respect this process. Nonetheless, we are talking with them regularly and will continue to try and work something out. Just know that we want to see the film play in Edmonton at some point soon.
As for your interests, please feel free to keep in touch with us and feel free to continue to let your local Cineplex team know too.
We thank you very much,
Mark Katz
_________________________________________________
Mark Katz, Distribution President, National Geographic Cinema Ventures
National Geographic Entertainment
p: 203.661.5678 email:
mkatz@ngs.org
f: 203.661.5556