One of the most progressive chains in the Balkans will this month be recognised for its work when Blitz-CineStar receives CineEurope’s “International Exhibitor of the Year” award.
Celebrating an increasingly vibrant cinema-going culture in the region, the Blitz-CineStar chain, with 23 sites throughout the former Yugoslavia, will receive recognition for delivering the best movie-going magic to audiences. The award will be presented to Hrvoje Krstulovic, co-founder, as part of the CineEurope awards ceremony hosted by the Coca-Cola Company on Thursday, 20 June, at the Centre Convencions Internacional Barcelona (CCIB) in Barcelona, Spain. Each year at CineEurope, this coveted award is given to an exhibitor whose growth, accomplishments, new developments and market leadership make them a standard-bearer for the industry.
Blitz-CineStar opened its first multiplex, CineStar Zagreb in 2003. CineStar Zagreb remains the largest multiplex in the former Yugoslavia with 13 screens and 2,940 seats. The CineStar chain currently has a further 22 multiplexes (including forthcoming sites in Banja Luka and Belgrade), with a total of 145 screens and nearly 23,000 seats. It is one of the company’s objectives to continue to bring
a state-of-the-art movie experience throughout the region, with a series of upcoming projects.
A brand with value
Blitz-CineStar is the major innovative force in the local exhibition market, continuously upgrading its services, not only in terms of implementing cutting-edge technologies, but also through the introduction of a series
of branded consumer services which have made it into one of the most recognisable brands — the CineStar brand itself has received seven Superbrands awards within Croatia, including a Superbrands Exclusive award, and several consumer awards including winning three Best Buy Awards, notably the Best Buy Award Millennials 2018.
Last year, the company’s 15th anniversary was marked by winning a prestigious ICTA award in the category New Build Cinema of the Year, for its CineStar 4DX Mall in Split, the biggest cinema site in Croatia’s coastal region of Dalmatia.
“It gives us great pleasure to present this award to the Blitz-CineStar chain,” said Andrew Sunshine, president of the Film Expo Group. “Blitz-CineStar has built a culture of innovation for cinema, changing the movie-going experience in the Balkan region. They’ve proved to be a pioneer in the industry and we congratulate all on this well-deserved honour.”
UNIC’s CEO Laura Houlgatte-Abbott added: “We are delighted to see Blitz-CineStar recognised at CineEurope this year. The award acknowledges their highly committed efforts towards enhancing the Big Screen experience across the Balkans and is a celebration of the cinema-going culture in the region.”
Reacting to the announcement, Blitz-CineStar’s Hrvoje Krstulovic said: “We are delighted — it will be a great honour to receive such high industry recognition on behalf of our team.”
CineEurope 2019 takes place 17-20 June at the Centre Convencions Internacional Barcelona (CCIB). Find our more and to register, head to www.filmexpos.com/cineeurope
