Boxoffice-August.1989

Expanding
He
TORONTO - Following Famous Players'
lead by Iwo v\eeks. Cineplex Odeon Canadian
boosted its lop adult admission price to
SC" as ol May i(v That's a 5()-cent hike. Cineplex
also reduced its $CV75 Tuesday discount
prices to SC5 50 on May «1 The circuit's
Tuesday bargain policy began in
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ON THE MOVE
Florida-based concessions operating company.
He also recently joined Cini-LiUle International,
a management and design consulting
lirrn Vince Pantuso lives in Orlando with his
wile Nancy, whose company. Savvy Services,
operales three snack bars and lounges at Ihe
Orlando airport
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
liFIIING - In the wake ol the Tian \n Men
massacre, the second edition (jl the China
Film Exhibition will almost certainly be cancelled.
The festival, originally scheduled for
Sept 16-22, was conceived to promote Chinese
film as worthy of worldwide commercial
attention It wouiri have oftered opportunities
for visiting executives to purchase distribution
rights on the spot.
The lirst Exhibition last fall was notable for
"
Its talk ol reform film promotion
actiMlies and making films that audiences
want lo see became priorities. .Also discussed
were setting up a for-profit distribution system,
raising admission prices, and encouraging
co-production with the West. All that
seems in doubt now
There are 47 cinemas in Beijing, which has
a population of 1 1 million. On an average
day, 288 showings are given for an audience
ol 200,000 to 300,000 moviegoers Capital
Cinema, the largest in Beijing, sported ads
over Its gate proclaiming the management's
support tor the students
USSR - ITC has lontluded a iheatnial
agreement to exhibit the comedy "Without a
Clue" in the Soviet Union, An Orion Pictures
"
release in America, "Without a Clue will be
dubbed into Russian and exhibited wilhm the
next SIX months in Sovu-l thiMlrt-v The licensing
agreement was ni.idf li\ I'l-u-r George,
ITCs manager ol inlem.iliun.i! ihtMlrnal sales;
Stephanie EHolm, marketing director ol International
Film Exchange - the largest supplier
ot English-language films lo the Soviet Union;
and cileg Rucinev, general direc tor at Sovexport
JOHANNESBURG - "Mississippi Burning" is a
boxolfice smash in this South African city,
attracting both blacks and whiles. The film
has played to full houses since it opened it
late .April The film has been unusually suc-
( essfui in appealing to all races, said a spokesman
lor Sler-Kinekor, the largest theater circuit
in South Alrica In fact, ihe film has been
much more successful on a ()er ca[-)ila basis
than It was in the United Stales, where it has
earnecJ 4i4 million to date, an unspectacular
lake for such a widely acclaimed lilm Two
recent pictures about race relations in
South
Africa, "Cry Freedom" and "A World Apart."
were banned in the country Government
( ensors approved "Mississippi Burning" without
cuts or changes, although lilmgoers must
be at least 18 years old lo gel in
Stephanie Holm
International Film Exchange Ltd (IFEX) recently
announced that Stephanie hlolm has
been promoted to vice president ot international
distribution. Holm's duties will encompass
sales of American titles to Ihe Soviet
Union and Eastern Europe, as well as acquisilions
of foreign titles lo be distributed by IFEX
in Ihe United Slates Previously, Holm was
director of marketing for IFEX
Denise K Gunn has been promoted lo
senior vice president and head lilm buyer ot
AMC Film Marketing's western division A
staff of five film buyers In
the WesI and Midwest
will report directiv lo her Gunn has
been with AMC since MH i when slie signed
on as a film buyer in the Norlheasi Division
oflice in Mt Laurel, New Jersey AMC Iranslerred
her to Los Angeles in l^Hb A native ol
Philadelphia, she started her theatre career at
age
15 as an usherette
Vince I.
Pantuso, president ol V I
Pantusc^
Services and a partner in New Vista Services,
has been elected president ol Ihe National
Association of Concessionaires The balloling
took place April 17 at Snack Bar University in
San Antonio Mr Pantuso plans to expand the
association's membership base by promoting
Ihe professionalization ot the $7 billion concession
industry He foresees increased emphasis
on the association's Concession Manager
Certification Program, as well as the
ext)ansion ol lis videotape training (program
Pantuso brings lo his N \( position more
than 25 years oi mdusliv i'\|)erien( e I le was
involved in ihe t^towlh ol two ol Ihe country's
leading IihmI scimc e operators, ARA Services
,1111 1 \ oluMii' SctMces. He left the presidency
ol \olume Serines in 1484 to form his
own consulting company. In 1988 he also
became a partner in New Vista Services, a
Millard C)chs has been appointed chiet
operating ofticer of United Cinemas Inlernalional,
the exhibition joint venture formerly
known as Cinema International Corp United
Artists Communications Ian Riches was
named to take his place as managing director
ot UCIs UK operation. Ochs will be responsible
lor all of UCIs operations in Great Britain,
Ireland and WesI Germany. Charles Wesoky
continues as chlel executive officer.
All three directors were with AMC at the
time the company's U.K. assets were acquired
jointly by CIC and UA Communications.
Ochs began his exhibition career in with
RKO Stanley Warner in l%6 Riches started
out with Associated British Cinemas in 1%2
OBITUARIES
Sanford Greenberg, faS,
an accounting executive
long involved in independent exhil)ilion.
distribution and production, died Mav
27 in Roslyn, New York of heart failure A
graduate first ol Pace College and then
Columbia's business school, Greenberg
served as treasurer and comptroller on the
landmark independent production, ""David
and Lisa." In l%8, Greenberg became vice
president, treasurer and co-owner of Ackerman
Theatres, including New York City's bHlii
Street Playhouse, 57th Street Playhouse, Ihe
Lincoln Art Theatre (now the Cineplex Odeon
Biograph), and a partnership in Slaten Island s
United Artists lO-plex While at Ackerman
Greenberg and three others formed Quartet
Films This independent distribution companv
handled 50 titles, in'cludlng "Eating Raoul' and
'
"Breaker Morant was a member of the
B'nai Brith Cinema Lodge. Greenberg's survi
vors inclucie his wife, son, two daughters, ^v^ii
a granddaughter
Fim Ramm, 28, passed avsay
alter a shori
illness. He worked lor "This Week in Texas
as their San Antonio correspondent, and also
part-time as an entertainer and bartender He
was previously employed as a doorman and
barkeep at the Woodlawn Theatre before its
closing
Arthur Hap \ellinan |r passed awav
alter a struggle with lymphatic cancer A res
laurateur and developer, Vellman was t>x
tremely active with the San Anionic Conser
vation Society during its purchase and resio
ration of ihe landmark Aztec 3 Theatre Ovei
700 people allended services
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