Hi Team & Friends
Here is second edition of my weekly newsletter.

Theater chain EVO-Santikos Opens
San Antonio-based EVO-Santikos Entertainment, are taking the plunge several venues started to screen last Saturday.
USA Texas Gov. Greg Abbott green lighted theaters to operate at 25% capacity. Andrew Brooks a Marketing and sales executive for Santikos stated “they are our biggest theaters with our biggest lobbies that really enable us to put a plan in to let people space out.

The plan allows for 3 shows a day, as well as extra time for cleaning & Servicing, Policies to promote safety include: assigning reserved seating to assure social distancing; requiring employees to wear masks and gloves; and minimizing food handling and cash transactions.

Occupancy is expected to average 35 people patrons placed 6-8 feet apart in each auditorium. Normal capacity for these houses about 120.

“What we’re doing right now is not about showing the latest, greatest movie. There are no new movies coming out for awhile,” Brooks said. “What we’re doing this for is to give people a place to go, maybe see a movie they hadn’t seen before, get away from the COVID-19 blues.”

Additional new policies in place: Staff and guests will have their temperatures taken upon entry; face coverings will be required; tickets must be purchased online or at a self-serve kiosk; and alternating aisles will be closed while those in use will have a two-seat gap between groups. A group can have up to five guests.

EVO’s complete plan for reopening can be found at www.evocinemas.com/covid.

Whether this model will be acceptable to the public remains to be see. Your comments and opinions are welcomed.

Product Availability
Independent Distributors may have an opportunity to get there product screen time with the few venues coming on line since the Major Studios have shelved high-profile titles such as “Mulan,” “A Quiet Place II” and “Black Widow” until later in the year or 2021. The next big studio movie, Director Christopher Nolan’s “Tenet,” is scheduled to open July 17.
Right now neither AMC, Regal or Cinemark have not announced any plans to open at this time.

Risk Management
Critical to opening of Cinemas will be asking your insurance carrier if you are covered from a liability perspective in connection with someone filing a legal claim as a result of there claiming they became sick with CV-19 in your Venue. Time to have a heart to Heart talk perhaps with your insurance broker/carrier and have legal review your current policies before opening the door.

Thanks : Hollywood reporter for this important survey.

• More than half of Americans say they will go to a theater within a month of their respective states meeting White House guidelines for reopening businesses — provided that movie theaters offer staggered setting and sanitize high-traffic areas.
• Conversely, only 22 percent would consider returning within the same time period if a state reopens early,
  The survey of 2,200 people was conducted between April 22-26 as a number of states, including Texas, Florida and Georgia, lift shelter-in-place orders.
• 45 percent say they would go to the movies before their state meets Washington D.C. requirements if they can be assured of those cleaning measures.
• The combo of adhering to guidelines, sanitizing and staggered seating resulted in 53 percent to 51 percent of respondents saying they would likely to buy a movie ticket within the first month.
• 44 percent of those polled would be more likely to see a movie wearing protective face gear once the White House standards are met.
• Americans between the ages of 18-29 — a demo which includes the most frequent moviegoers — appear to be the most inclined to return to the cinema across all categories, according to the poll.

The current hope in Hollywood is that cinemas will reopen in time for Christopher Nolan’s Tenet on July 17. The vast majority of theater owners are on the same page, saying they will not reopen until the latter part of June. Circuits also understand that capacity may be reduced for a certain period of time post-pandemic.

A recent survey from UTA IQ, United Talent Agency’s data and analytics group, found that nearly three out of four respondents among a group of 1,100 miss seeing a movie in cinemas.

This and That
The Motion Picture Academy of Arts and Sciences has made a changed its requirement that a film must screen in theaters to qualify for an OSCAR nomination. The change is for the this yer only in view of COVID-19
YouTube’s is partnering film festivals to host “WE ARE ONE: Global Film Festival” beginning on May 29th. This Web festival on-line event highlights many independent films that would have premiered at individual festivals, before they were postponed or canceled.

Reminder CineConf: Don’t forget to register
Webinar#5 for Cinema Exhibition Community
May 6, 20207:30 AM EDT
WEBINAR#5 Distribution Horizon: What is the Content Strategy for Studios? TheatreWorld, the well renowned premium magazine for the cinema exhibition industry is here to launch #CineConf a webinar platform for the Cinema Ecosystem and Industry Stakeholders. For more details about the webinar visit www.cineconf.com This event can be joined directly from your PC or you need a Blue Jeans App install for iOS / Android devices.

I hope these few lines you to stay informed about important industry news. Your comments are welcomed.

See you at the Movies!

Steven Krams, President
Magna-Tech Electronic Co. Inc.
Miami & Atlanta