[Barcelona, Spain; June 21, 2017] -- Vista Group International (NZX & ASX: VGL) is pleased to announce that it has agreed to pursue a partnership with German independent cinema operator Yorck Kinogruppe, Berlin’s premier art house cinema chain. Yorck Kinos has the intention to work with two Vista Group companies: Vista Entertainment Solutions (‘Vista Cinema’), the global leader in cinema management software for exhibitors, and Movio, the worldwide leader in marketing data analytics for the film industry. Yorck Kinos is Movio’s first German customer.

Yorck Kinogruppe is the largest cinema association in Berlin with 12 theatres and an open-air cinema. The theatres show a cross-section of films in some of Berlin’s most revered buildings, many of which have been saved from destruction and restored through the efforts of Yorck Kinos. Vista Cinema and Movio will be installed first in Yorck Kinogruppe’s new theatre venue, a seven-screen arthouse in the heart of Berlin, set to open this autumn.

“The opportunity to work with a Berlin exhibition institution like Yorck Kinogruppe is special for us,” says Murray Holdaway, Group CEO of Vista. “Combining the strengths of Vista Cinema and Movio has proven a winning combination for many of our exhibition customers around the world and we very much look forward to ensuring that Yorck Kinos and its moviegoers are similarly delighted.” 

“Our projected partnership with Vista Cinema and Movio is a testament to the innovative spirit of the cinema industry,” said Christian Bräuer, CEO of Yorck Kinogruppe. “Together with partner cinemas, we seize the opportunities of the digital world within the German cinema market. Our goal is to reinforce the connection between film and audiences. We hope through Movio to obtain an exceptionally innovative marketing tool that helps us transfer our knowledge of film and our tight relationship with our customers into the digital world. We want to please our savvy young audiences even more and customize offers to our members and cardholders, providing a better service by creating a seamless and attractive cinema experience.”

Movio Cinema, Movio’s flagship product, holds comprehensive marketing data covering 55 percent of cinema screens of the Large Cinema Circuit in North America and 28 percent globally accounting for 38+ million active moviegoers.

"We are thrilled to have Yorck Kinogruppe on board soon as a Movio customer,” said Sarah Lewthwaite, Movio Managing Director, SVP, EMEA. “There is so much untapped potential in its database and we are confident that Movio Cinema will empower Yorck Kinos to deliver upon its vision of a highly targeted, relevant and measurable
e-communications strategy."

“This investment demonstrates our determination to face the challenges of the digital world and embrace the future at the doorstep of our 40th anniversary in 2018,” added Georg Kloster, Founder & Manager of Yorck-Kino GmbH. 

The signing of the LOI was also hailed by Mischa Kay, Managing Director, Vista EMEA: “This is a significant signing for Vista Cinema representing major movement into the very extensive German cinema exhibition market. Working with Yorck Kinogruppe’s innovation-centric team fits with all that is dear to Vista Cinema and will be a tremendously exciting collaboration.”

About Yorck Kinogruppe: 

Originally founded in 1978, Yorck-Kino GmbH is one of Berlin’s biggest cinema operators, with 12 cinemas and an open-air cinema. Yorck Kinogruppe is a proudly independent chain which believes in putting on fantastic films in state-of-the-art cinemas with superb screens, first-class sound and comfortable seating for customers. Many of its cinemas host international premieres and screenings at the prestigious Berlin International Film Festival.