The Directorate General of Cinema of the Dominican Republic (DGCINE) announced the donation of screens for the Agliberto Meléndez Cinema Hall of the Dominican Republic Cinematheque by Jazz At Lincoln Center and the National Freight Service (NFS). This generous contribution stems from the firm commitment of these institutions to the arts, cultural enrichment and recognition of the crucial impact that cinema has had on the country.
It is hoped that the significant contribution to the DGCINE and its Dominican Cinematheque will fulfill the important objective of improving dissemination capabilities by enabling filmmakers to present high quality productions, in an effort to raise the reputation and recognition of the Dominican film industry in the international arena.
At the presentation ceremony, Marianna Vargas Gurilieva, Director General of DGCINE thanked Jazz Lincoln Center, NFS, and the Directorate General of Customs, in the person of its Director General, Eduardo Sanz Lovatón and his team, for making this donation possible.
He also expressed that “this valuable contribution marks a new step in the restoration of our movie theater, a project we have been working on to return to our citizens and to Dominican cinema, the splendor they deserve. This contribution will not only have an impact on the present, but will leave an indelible mark on the history of Dominican cinema.”
Adolfo Rudeke, CEO of NFS, stated that ”we are pleased to have been of support to Lincoln Center, the DGCINE and its Cinemateca, in the logistics of the donation of these state-of-the-art screens as a grain of sand to the effort that Marianna Vargas Gurilieva is carrying out for the good of our film industry and the enjoyment of all Dominicans”.
John Starmer and Federico Diaz, executives of Jazz At Lincoln Center emphasized their enthusiasm to collaborate with the esteemed DGCINE organization to ensure the successful implementation of this donation and contribute to the strengthening of the local film industry.
Cinemateca Dominicana promotes the value of national cinematography
The Dominican Cinematheque, as a dependency of the General Directorate of Cinema in its role of rescuing, preserving and exhibiting classic and contemporary film gems, is the direct beneficiary of this important donation, due to the impact it represents for the development of the country’s cinema.
Law 108-10 for the Promotion of Cinematographic Activity in the Dominican Republic, which created the DGCINE, establishes in Article 48, in its first two paragraphs, that the Dominican Cinematheque must safeguard and disseminate the values of the nation’s cinematographic heritage, as well as carry its film dissemination programs, both in terms of classic and contemporary cinema, throughout the national territory. This is the importance of these screens, which the Cinemateca Dominicana did not have before, to fulfill such an important role.
Characteristics of the screens
The first screen was manufactured by the Canadian company Stewart Film Screen. It is 53 feet high and 23 feet wide. The material it is made of is Ultramatte 130, seamless.
The second screen, manufactured by Harkness Matt Plus has the following dimensions: 53.58 feet wide x 23.58 feet high.
Source: presidencia.gov.do
