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The new innovative open air cinema in the old GSP Stadium in Nicosia has proved to be a great success despite modest audiences, organizers said ahead of its closing night tomorrow.
“We at the municipality, and I feel at LTV as well, felt that it was a success. The whole event was satisfactory, though there were not many cars driving in on all days. The timeframe given to run this project worked against us as there was the summer heat and the euro cup,” explained the financial manager of Nicosia Municipality, Nicholas Efstathiou.
This was not a money making scheme, nor was it to make profit, explained Efstathiou: “This was a cultural event.”
The old GSP Stadium in Nicosia was transferred into the ‘LTV Drive-In Cinema’, allowing audiences to experience something new and interesting. It has a snack bar that serves your usual movie snacks, popcorn, sandwiches, ice cream and of course a cultural element, the frappe. The outdoors allows you to be comfortable and lift your feet up without ushers telling you off or other people complaining, but still this did not seem enough to bring the huge crowds to the drive-in.
“Approximately there has been about 20-30 people attending in a space that can fit up to 200 people,” said George Petrides from the marketing department of LTV.
“LTV and Municipality wanted to prove that open air theaters are a good venture to develop in the future. We were realistic considering all the elements working against us, and our goal has been met. For us this event was successful because we did it and it was brilliant. This was a good prototype to start something similar in the future,” said Efstathiou.
The reason of its success, he says, is that “we had erected this brilliant inflatable movie screen which had cinema quality. We used a projector not a DVD.”
Having been apart of the audience, he explained how exhilarating the experience had been: “It was brilliant. The directors feel it was brilliant. It was spectacular viewing. Naturally, such projects need time to mature onto the public and perhaps if we had given it a year the public would get used to this idea.”
Petrides also watched a couple movies at the drive-in and says there is nothing wrong with this project. “The sound is excellent, the projection is very good. It is a different experience than going to an indoor theatre. We have not had any complaints about any errors or problems.”
Prior reports that the outdoor movie cinema was to stay open until autumn are false – “our initial plan was to open until this Thursday” Petrides said.
Closing on Thursday, the space will make way for a major building project for a cultural site on the premises. “The drive-in cinema was given the location of the stadium until July 31 and once we take everything down the Municipality will begin the construction of the cultural building,” said Efstathiou.
Cyprus Mail
