20 Nov – Up-and-coming cinema exhibitor CGV Cinemas is set to introduce three new entertainment technologies in Malaysia in the form of 4DX, ScreenX, and Starium theatres when it makes its debut in the country mid-2015. The first cinema from the chain, CGV Empire City, will be housed at Empire City Damansara at Damansara Perdana. Branded 'Cultureplex', derived from the social/people culture lifestyle and the abbreviation of complex, the cinema will encompass 20 screens that will be spread out across 7 levels. The 4DX theatre is a motion seat viewing experience coupled with environmental effects. The ScreenX theatre will have a panoramic 270 degree screen and the Starium theatre is a large screen format theatre. There will also be a theatre called, Private Cinema, a luxury theatre which will offer a lounge and dining area. The Multifunction Hall is a theatre with flexible seating arrangement for events and more. Each theatre will have a seating capacity between 100 to 600 seats and ticketing prices will vary based on the chosen movie formats and speciality theatres.
The new cinema has also partnered up with Open University Malaysia (OUM) to introduce specialised courses in theatre management for training certificates pertaining to the cinema industry for their future staff. "The cinema industry has been in Malaysia for more than 80 years, however consistent sustainable practises and standards have yet to be realised. At current maturity stage, we feel it is timely and beneficial to lay forward a concrete foundation to learn the ropes of this industry." said Mr. Varghese Mathews, the CEO of CGV Empire Sdn Bhd, when met at the signing ceremony for the Memorandum of Understanding between CGV and OUM yesterday. "Nurturing talents and acquainting them with standards and requirements of the industry will not only be vital, but useful for their long term career, At CGV Empire, we strive to provide our talents with opportunities to learn and grow." he added. Also present at the signing event were Dr Megat Al-Imran Yassin, Deputy Director General of Finas, Dato' Sean Ng, Chairman of CGV Empire and Group Managing Director for Mammoth Empire and Mr. Repin bin Ibrahim, Vice President, Business Development of Open University Malaysia. More details on the courses will be revealed in 2015 closer to the opening of CGV Empire City. CGV Empire is the entertainment arm of Mammoth Empire Group (MEH) and is a joint venture with South Korea's CJ CGV Co. Ltd.