Cinemas register 653,002 admissions in 2014

In 2014, cinemas in Malta and Gozo projected 368 different film titles and registered a total of 653,002 admissions., survey results show.

The survey was carried out among all eight cinema establishments in Malta and Gozo and it revealed that in 2014, they had 35 screens and a total seating capacity of 6,784.

The survey revealed that less than one-fifth of the screens, 17.1%, were still equipped with the traditional analog film format, while 31.4% were equipped to project digital non- 3D films only, and 45.7% were equipped to project in digital 3D format.

Results also showed that 27 theatres in seven cinema establishments were accessible to persons with disabilities, and that in 2014, cinemas registered a total of 653,002 admissions.

According to the survey, the largest share of admissions, 73.1%, was registered for films with the United States as their country of origin while total admissions for digital 3D movies accounted for 12.8% of the total, with 81.6% were for digital non-3D films.

“Films originating from Malta registered 4.2% of total admissions and on average, Maltese films enjoyed the highest number of admissions per film,” figures show.

Data showed that the total number of film titles exhibited in 2014 was 368, with just over half of the films produced in the United States, while five films were produced locally.

Results show that total screenings amounted to 47,384, with an average of 128.8 screenings per film and a total of 815 film shows were projected in 2014, of which 77.1% were first-time releases.

“In 2014, the most popular movies were “Maleficent”, “Simshar” and “The Hobbit: Battle of Five Armies”, and the largest share of admissions was registered for fiction films, which attracted just over 78% of total audiences,” the survey revealed. According to results, films pertaining to the animation genre registered the highest average admissions per film, with 3,227 admissions per film screened during the reference year.

Results added that in 2014, the highest number of staff members working in cinema establishments was in the first three months, at 162, with most staff members working on a part-time basis.