Dolby, Kodak, Sundance and Kerasotes Helping to Green the Film Biz

February 4, 2008

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In ways great and small, the film industry is greening up the business, according to this Film Journal article. Sundance, famous for its festival, has a theater in Madison, WI, and one soon to open in San Francisco. Both incorporate environmental policies, starting with construction, which used reclaimed wood and recycled plastics. In their dining areas, the disposable cups are made from corn syrup, and the forks are made from potatoes by a company called Spudware.

In Chicago, Kerasotes Theatres has built its first multiplex with a green roof featuring plants and rocks to conserve energy within the building. In Europe, the Kinepolis theater circuit builds all its buildings with local materials and bases the constructions on the local climate, such as in Spain where an open entrance reduces the use of air-conditioning. Kinepolis also builds near train or bus stations to encourage less driving.

In early 2005, Cinemark, with 310 theaters and 3,349 screens in the U.S. and abroad, began replacing 11-watt 11S14 incandescent lamps with 2-W Micro-Brite cold cathode fluorescent lamps from Litetronics in its exterior marquees and some interior menu boards

Dolby has introduced reusable 3D glasses for movies such as Beowulf. And six years ago, Dolby teamed up with Kodak to inaugurate a new process for adding soundtracks to film that discontinues the use of dangerous toxins.

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