Jamaicans spent a record $582.8 million at the cinemas over 12 months to June 2010, which was 26.7 per cent more year-on-year despite the economic downturn and poor summer flicks.

Box office tickets were $403.8 million with an additional $179.3 million spent on refreshments, according to data released Thursday from Palace Amusement Co which runs the island’s cinemas. The company benefited from increased prices last December by some 10 per cent but saw its box office tickets grow some 27 per cent, indicating that movies attracted larger audiences. The global hit Avatar in December would have been a big draw during the year and was the top-grossing movie in at least 24 countries, including Jamaica, according to website Box Office Mojo. The industry arguably suffered from a poor summer with top action films led by pre-teen stars, including The Last Airbender and the Karate Kid, despite an early summer release of Iron Man 2. Previous summers were dominated by action heroes and mega-movie stars. Palace’s results, however, contained no chairman’s statement to explain the results.

Carib theatre in Cross Roads continued to earn the bulk of box office receipts at $212.4 million followed by Palace Multiplex in Montego Bay at $87.4 million, Palace Cineplex at $76 million and Odeon Cineplex at $27.7 million. At the same time, confectionery sales at these theatres were $97.6 million, $34.3 million, $34.7 million and $12.6 million, respectively.

The annual box office and confectionery sales, when combined, was the most Jamaicans ever spent at the movies, even discounting inflation. It represents some US$6.6 million using exchange rate fluctuations during the financial year ranging between $89/US$1 and $86/US$1). The previous record was US$6.12 million ($71.40/US$1) in the 2008 financial year ending June. In fact, attendance at cinemas has been declining from a high of 1.2 million in 1994 to under 900,000, according to data from previous Palace annual reports. The decline is attributed to $200 bootlegs and streaming web movies. Increased access to high speed internet has enabled users to steam or download movies legally or otherwise.

“In respect of taking legal action, the infringement rests with the copyright owners,” stated Carol Simpson, head of Jamaica Intellectual Copyright Organisation, which monitors copyright infringement, in a previous interview with the Observer. “It’s not only the downloaders but the internet providers (ISPs) who are going to be responsible. I know that illegal downloading has been going on. And the ISPs are also aware of it.”

Currently, Internet users bypass the cinemas on sites including surfthechannel.com; Privatebay.org; and watch-movies.net.

“The more you put in measures to prevent these pirates, the more they find ways to beat the system,” Simpson had said then.

Blockbuster movies (July 2009 to June 2010), according to madeinatlantis.com include: Avatar which grossed over US$1.9 billion worldwide; Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs, which grossed US$869 million worldwide; Clash of the Titans, which grossed $463 million worldwide; and Iron Man 2 which grossed US$427 million worldwide.

LOCAL BOX OFFICE SALES

(financial year ending June)

*Box office sales $403.5 million and confectionery sales $179.3 million in 2010;

*Box office sales $316.5 million and confectionery sales $143.4 million in 2009;

*Box office sales $296.1million and confectionery sales $139.3 million in 2008;

*Box office sales $250.7 million and confectionery sales $124.7 million in 2007;

*Box office sales $213.1 million and confectionery sales $103.9 million in 2006;

*Box office sales $245.1 million and confectionery sales $106.4 million in 2005;

*Box office sales $241.2 million and confectionery sales $99.5 million in 2003; and

*Box office sales $207.3 million and confectionery sales $86.9 million in 2002.

Caption

Avatar grossed over US$1.9 billion worldwide