[Dubai Film Culture] Arthouse Cinema Hall at Dubai Mall

[ak]

Good news for fans of arthouse films in Dubai, UAE!

According to their latest press release, Dubai Mall's Reel Cinemas will have a dedicated arthouse hall called The Picture House.

Dubai Mall to open UAE's largest cineplex
Mon, 25 May 2009           



The Dubai Mall, the world’s largest shopping and entertainment destination, will soon open Reel Cinemas, the UAE’s largest cinema complex featuring 22 screens and a seating capacity of 2,800.

The cineplex is developed by Reel Entertainment, a joint venture of Emaar Malls Group and Singapore-based premier entertainment providers Cathay Organisation Holdings.

The highlight of The Dubai Mall cineplex is the introduction of the Hollywood Chic design concept, which assures a modern cinema experience. The seats are ergonomically designed with the widest legroom for utmost comfort, while the overall ambience is reminiscent of old Hollywood glamour intelligently blended into contemporary interiors using modern materials, said a statement.

The sound and projection system are world-class with THX certification, and the digital theatre experience also includes 3D presentation, it said.

Nasser Rafi, chief executive officer, Emaar Malls Group, said: “Entertainment and leisure attractions have become an integral part of mall developments. The extensive leisure portfolio of the mall has become a social magnet for families, and the opening of Reel Cinemas will further add to the overall entertainment offerings.”

He added: “Reel Cinemas is being developed to the highest international standards with expertise from Cathay Organisation Holdings Ltd, Emaar’s joint venture partner. Cathay has an established track-record in developing superior-quality theatres, and movie-goers at Reel Cinemas will be assured of a never-before cinema experience.”

Reel Cinemas is spread over an area of 110,000 sq ft with direct access from the carpark on both levels. The complex will feature four Platinum Movie Suites apart from The Picturehouse, the first dedicated arthouse hall at a cineplex in Dubai. Among the 17 other regular halls is a premiere hall that seats more than 300 people.

In applying the Hollywood Chic cinema concept, Reel Cinemas will feature an extensive use of mirrors and subtle patterns to create shimmering surfaces and reflections. Mood lighting will add a touch of drama to the interiors, and in the lobbies a starry sky effect will add to the ambience, said Rafi.

The lobby floors are clad in a geometric pattern of toned grey stone, and the columns form stars on the floor to sweep up in an interpretation of the theatre drape. The lounge seating areas are upholstered in rich fabrics and leather. The Platinum Movie Suites and The Picturehouse have special lounges furnished with plush leather seating and modern design.

Suresh Bhatia, chief executive officer, Emaar Retail, said: “The big-cinema experience of Reel Cinemas is supported by the latest in digital audio-visual technology. Several service features will be introduced including on-line ticket booking facilities, automated kiosks and box-office counters. Reel Cinemas is billed to become a popular attraction that further adds to the leisure components of the mall including Dubai Aquarium and Underwater Zoo, Dubai Ice Rink, The Waterfall, and soon-to-open KidZania and SEGA Republic.”

The Dubai Mall has a wide spectrum of retail and leisure choices for visitors. Of the 1,200 retail outlets in the mall, more than 900 have opened. There are 160 F&B outlets offering an array of options for visitors and 14,000 parking spaces.

[animatedude]

very very cool! now this is what i call a great news! another reason for me to move to Dubai...

[fizz]

This smells like a money making scheme for Emaar. I'm not interested in the fact that Picturehouse will "have special lounges furnished with plush leather seating and modern design"...what the fuck will they be playing? Crank 2? Considering how closely cinema releases here are regulated by gov authorities, how will the opening of this cinema change anything for me as a viewer? I think the place will be all swanky and popular, and oh yes, expensive, because that is the only true sign of quality. Will they be playing reruns of 2001? Or Badlands? Will they screen films applauded at Cannes and Sundance that don't make it here (except for solitary screenings during DIFF), thats what I REALLY want to know. And yes, how much will I have to pay?

Let's wait and see, but I'm skeptical.

[animatedude]

yeah yeah man i agree but come on...at least this is a good first step.maybe we can send them an email or a fax or something thanking them for this and guiding them to the right direction before they start.

[ak]

I'm with Animatedude -- it's a step in the right direction. They have the 'hardware,' what they now need is the content, which means arthouse cinema programmed by a curator who knows a bit about film history. If I am in the country I wouldn't mind helping them put a series together, based on certain themes. With the proliferation of Blu-rays, we don't even need film prints for projection...

It would be interesting to see if the presence of a dedicated "arthouse" cinema helps in seeing contemporary world cinema on the big screen. (Will it be censored? But of course.) And as above comments indicated, we will be seeing lots of re-runs of classics, but the rub is how will this stuff be programmed, if at all...

[animatedude]

best case scenario,they hire an expert who has real passion for cinema to run this theater.worst case scenario,they make a deal with Sundance channel or something...or maybe screen old arabic movies.

[ak]

Arthouse Arab cinema might be a really good idea -- access to quality Arab films is a big issue, even in the Middle East, which is ironic.

[fizz]

Yeah, lets wait and see, but I have my doubts. Picturehouse and its leather seats will not be profitable without huge footfalls. We have already seen what happens to smaller releases when they come out after they have played in packed solitary shows during DIFF - they disappear or are dubbed. It's about commerce and if the chain puts in so much money and doesn't find the venture profitable, it will not be sustainable for them. Dubai does not have the audience for art house films. It just doesn't. Half the audience at these so called art house shows are foreign press providing coverage or people who've submitted to the hype of the advertising. Where are connoisseurs in the local population?

I'd like to know what kind of research the franchise opening this up did about a "need" for such a place in Dubai.

[ak]

There are always niches, and niches are small yet profitable. Fizz, you must remember that The Picture House arthouse cinema hall is not a standalone -- it is going to be a part of something bigger, something commerical: the Reel Cinemas megaplex. The arthouse division will not be making the much money, but it is a 'prestige' sideproject that will help with marketing and promotion; something papers and social networkers can write about.

[fizz]

Ak, its a fair enough assessment. It is a niche. I hope they are successful and maybe, in the long run, we (as WM) can have our bashes there even.

[ak]

I want to clarify that your reservations are also fair, given the state of affairs in, what is essentially, a culturally superficial city. The Picture House thing maybe a precedent, like the Dubai Film Festival, if done right. That is our hope, but we could be wrong and that would be a shame, though not necessarily a surprise.

[ayaa1977]

Both of you AK and Fizz represent a fair arguments. In one hand AK is right that it a step in the right direction and if they put their hearts in it, the chain owners don't really need to make money since they will have the niche market and the prestige that comes with it.

In the other hand I can't see that they will make the tickets more affordable with all the description of how luxurious the theatre will be, at best it will be the same admssion price as the other theatres. London is one of the most expensive cities in the world, a ticket in the West End cinemas cost up to £15.50, but even there they have in the very West End Prince Charles Cinema where the ticket cost as little as £1.50. I attended a few films when I was there and it was as good  and clean of a cinema as it gets.

I guess all the cinephiles will have to wait and see. Last I heard the Reel Cinemas in Dubai Mall are supposed to open Mid 2009, which means the next few months. That won't be a long wait. 

[shariqq]

with the number of screens, and especially this "arthuse" cinema there, I hope DIFF organisers become a little sensible and hold a part of DIFF at Reel rather than Festival City.

Or better still, they should have the whole of the festival screenings at Reel!

[kaytee]

This is an excellent initiative from who ever is going to run the cinema. There is definitely a market for arthouse movies in the UAE or Dubai for that matter. Pricing and the movies that they source will be the biggest driver for this.

[sandeep]

They will probably want to drive Festival traffic there this year, so dont be surprised if they split it between MoE and Dubai Mall.

with the number of screens, and especially this "arthuse" cinema there, I hope DIFF organisers become a little sensible and hold a part of DIFF at Reel rather than Festival City.

Or better still, they should have the whole of the festival screenings at Reel!