The Cinéma Parallele acquires Ex-Centris’ movie theatres

Montreal, Friday, April 8, 2011 – The Cinéma Parallèle made a huge announcement today, one that will affect Montreal cinephiles and the entire cinematic community: eXcentris will reopen, and soon. Indeed, following steps started nearly two years ago when the theatres managed by eXcentris closed, the Cinéma Parallèle is pleased to announce that it has finalized the deal that will enable it to buy this extraordinary cultural facility. It is thanks to partnerships developed between the ministère de la Culture, des Communications et de la Condition féminine, the SODEC, the Ville de Montréal and the Daniel Langlois Foundation that this project is possible, without the combined efforts of all it would never see the light of day.

For the successful completion of its project, the Cinéma Parallèle thanks the Ville de Montréal who contributed to the project by way of L’Entente de 140M$: Imagining - Building Montréal 2025 executed by the ministère des Affaires municipales et de l’Occupation du Territoire with a subsidy of $2,75 million. The financial package also includes an exceptional $1 million donation from the Daniel Langlois Foundation. The purpose of this gift is principally to reequip theatre 3 with movie seats and to install new, up-to-date, equipment in the projection booths. In addition, the Cinéma Parallèle extends its deepest thanks to the Daniel Langlois Foundation for its incredible generosity towards the project expressed through a very substantial reduction in the selling price.

The important contribution of a minimum two-million dollar loan from the ministère de la Culture, des Communications et de la Condition féminine via a SODEC affiliate program was recently added to the financing. The MCCCF has also agreed to pay the Cinéma Parallèle an annual contribution of $250 000 for the next five years. The total cost of the project comes to $7 750 000.

« Je suis heureuse de participer à ce partenariat qui permet la relance du Cinéma Parallèle. Il s’agit d’un projet de première importance pour l’industrie québécoise du cinéma, car il garantit le maintien du rôle que jouait eXcentris dans le réseau de distribution du cinéma d’auteur. Je tiens à remercier tous ceux et celles qui ont travaillé à l’élaboration du projet qui bénéficiera autant aux gens de l’industrie qu’aux cinéphiles », declared the Minister St-Pierre.

« Montréal est une grande ville de création et de production cinématographique et à ce titre, notre métropole culturelle doit s’appuyer sur des salles de cinéma de répertoire de très grande qualité et de calibre international comme celles de l’eXcentris. C’est donc une fierté pour mon Administration d’appuyer ce projet du Cinéma Parallèle qui viendra, par le fait même, maintenir l’attractivité de ce secteur du boul. St-Laurent qui se veut le prolongement naturel du Quartier des spectacles », declared the Mayor of Montréal, M. Gérald Tremblay.

Reinvested in by the Cinéma Parallèle, eXcentris will once again become a lively and innovative gathering place offering a wider diversity in the films that are presented in Montreal. It will allow the cinema not only to pursue its mission by returning it to its initial purpose, but it will also come to serve an entire industry: the directors, the festivals, the film distributors and each member of the milieu stands to profit from its existence. Cinephiles and audiences will once again have a first-rate venue where they can celebrate their cinematic passions. What’s more, a variety of cultural activities, most notably our valued partners–the film festivals, as well as corporate and festive events will continue to be part of the Cinéma Parallèle’s raison d’être; good news for the vitality of the entire Saint-Laurent Boulevard. The Cinéma Parallèle’s artistic direction and the quality of its programming will continue to be the backbone of the organization, just as it had been for the thirty years before eXcentris and, since 1999, within the complex itself. With the realization of this project, Montreal, cultural metropolis can count on a leading cultural institution to intelligently present all that cinema has to offer on the national and international scene. Rendezvous this fall 2011 to celebrate our grand reopening. Long live cinema on the big screen!