ONE OF A KIND IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA

Nairobi is set to host the FIRST EVER iMax Theatre in East, Central and West Africa as well as the only theatre of its kind in Sub-saharan Africa, following the closure of South Africa’s only two iMax theatres in mid 2010.

The theatre will be at the 20th Century Fox Cinema Plaza on Mama Ngina Street in Nairobi, and is expected to open sometime in the next 2 weeks. The previous cinema hall had been shut down mid September 2011 for renovations and city residents have been wondering what exactly they are in store for.

The refurbishment, being carried out by Blue Sky World Kenyan representatives Angel Media, has seen more than 30 kilometres of cable used, materials and equipment flown in from as far as North America and the Far East as well as a 12,000 watt projector system and a brand new fully installed screen that is 4 storeys high, making it the biggest screen in Kenya.

Both screens will have an average of 10 rows though the 3D screen hall will have 196 seats as the 2D screen hall will feature 268 seats.

Artiste impression of what the new theatre will look like, ANGEL MEDIA

IMAX Technology is the most advanced and cutting-edge in the world today. The image projected is of immense size and the highest quality, and the surround sound is inexpressibly real and powerful. Huge IMAX screens and the special geometry of the theatre allows you to feel more immersed in the 3D experience.

IMAX is the most widely used system for special-venue film presentations. As of March 2011, there were 528 IMAX theatres in 46 countries.

The only other iMax theatre on the continent is found in the Egyptian capital, Cairo.