Barco Brings Global Film Festival Favorites to Cannes for Special Program in HDR

Cannes, France (May 14, 2024) – Barco, the leader in laser-powered cinema solutions, today announced a special Cannes screening program showcasing critically acclaimed titles, prepared for and screened in the groundbreaking HDR by Barco format. The carefully curated slate highlights festival winners from Belgium, Italy, Germany, and the United States, making their global debut in breathtaking Barco HDR Lightsteering. Barco’s HDR film series will be held May 16 – 22 in theater 8 at the Cinéum Cannes theater.

Films planned for this year’s HDR program include: PERFECT DAYS from Palm D’Or winning Director Wim Wenders, Cannes 2022 Grand Jury prize winner THE 8 MOUNTAINS, alongside the French market cinema debut of Tim Mielant’s hit thriller WIL. Barco, in collaboration with DTS, will also present special HDR by Barco screenings of A24/Metropolitan’s latest film CIVIL WAR, featuring the DTS:X immersive sound system. The full schedule of these titles and more can be found here: https://pardot.barco.com/en/events/cannes.

“The new High Dynamic Range (HDR) Lightsteering projector from Barco offers limitless possibilities for creativity in post.” said Tom Mulder, colorist for WIL. “The dynamic range and gamut allow us to bring images to life like never before. We will look back on its release as a key moment in the digital cinema experience.”

Each film selected for the showcase has been meticulously prepared for cinematic HDR presentation using Barco’s just-launched HDR by Barco ecosystem to bring the filmmaker’s vision to life in a format unmatched by anything previously available for premium cinema. Powered by the company’s patented Lightsteering technology, HDR by Barco projectors redistribute light within each frame, resulting in brighter highlights and deeper darks for rich, brilliant, high-contrast images.

“While remastering WIL to HDR cinema using Barco Lightsteering, we realized the extra range in both high and lowlights offers the possibility to draw the audience deeper in the image and create an extra layer of visual impact. It can be used to augment realism or, if desired, spectacle,” said Robrecht Heyvaert, Cinematographer on the critically-acclaimed film REBEL, Sony Pictures’ BAD BOYS FOR LIFE, and the upcoming BAD BOYS: RIDE OR DIE.

HDR by Barco leverages Lightsteering projection to deliver premium cinema HDR presentation through the strategic deployment of laser light onscreen. Developed as the answer to the studios’ new DCI HDR recommendations for the next-generation of bright cinema technology, Barco’s HDR product suite includes cinema projection, as well as post-production tools and technology designed to enable a seamless content pipeline from studio to theater screens.

“Moviegoers and the cinema industry alike have been waiting for true High Dynamic Range (HDR) solutions for cinema,” said Gerwin Damberg, EVP of Barco Cinema. “With HDR by Barco, we’ve developed a full ecosystem that delivers premium presentations for moviegoers, is accessible for cinemas, and integrates seamlessly into post-production workflows. The HDR by Barco suite of technologies enables a new level of storytelling for filmmakers with a dramatically expanded palette of colors, shades and highlights. We’re excited to bring the first HDR screening series to Cannes this year and to showcase the stunning power of HDR Lightsteering to transform and further elevate the cinema experience.”

Barco Cinema is the leading provider of laser cinema with over 35,000 laser screens deployed to date. HDR by Barco is the most recent addition to the company’s portfolio of award-winning laser cinema technologies that power movie experiences at the top cinema operators around the world.

Barco’s Cannes HDR screening series runs May 16 – 22, 2024 in auditorium 8 at the Cineum Cannes theater in, Cannes, France. For more information and schedule of screenings in HDR by Barco, visit:  https://pardot.barco.com/en/events/cannes

About Barco

Barco, headquartered in Kortrijk (Belgium), is a global company leading in visualization, networking, and collaboration technology. Its innovative solutions drive advancements in the healthcare, enterprise, and entertainment markets. At the heart of Barco’s success are over 3,000 dedicated ‘visioneers’, each passionately contributing to driving change through technology.

Listed on Euronext (BAR), Reuters (BARBt.BR), and Bloomberg (BAR BB), Barco realized sales of 1,050 million euro in 2023. For further insights, please visit www.barco.com or connect on X, LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook.

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