LAUREN GROUP

Laurenfilm, S.A., the Group founder firm, began its activities in 1980 by distributing the Golden Harvest’s movies. Afterwards, it achieved both big success and recognition by distributing with exclusive rights the American Production Company Orion’s movies (TERMINATOR, THE WOMAN IN RED, THE PURPLE ROSE OF CAIRO, HANNAH AND HER SISTERS, PLATOON, MISSISSIPPI BURNING, THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS...)

Since then, more than 500 film releases have been on the company (among them: OCCHI CIORNIE, AU REVOIR LES ENFANTS, NUOVO CINEMA PARADISO, MY LEFT FOOT, TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES, HAMLET, 1492: CONQUEST OF THE PARADISE, THE PLAYER, COMO AGUA PARA CHOCOLATE, MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING, THE HOUSE OF THE SPIRITS, LITTLE BUDA, SHORT CUTS, THE MASK, PULP FICTION, BULLETS OVER BROADWAY, MIGHTY APHRODITE, UP CLOSE & PERSONAL, CELEBRITY, SCREAM, SCREAM 2, THE ENGLISH PATIENT, GOOD WILL HUNTING, LA VITA È BELLA [LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL], and 1999 big event THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT. Other successful films are SCARY MOVIE, CIDER HOUSE RULES, CHOCOLAT, SPY GAME, SPY KIDS, THE CURSE OF THE JADE SCORPION, etc.

Throughout these years, its movies have been Academy-awarded over one hundred times, among them: PLATOON (4), THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS (5), NUOVO CINEMA PARADISO (1), THE ENGLISH PATIENT (9), LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL (3) ,CHICAGO (6), THE HOURS (1), FRIDA (2), COUCHING TIGER HIDDEN DRAGON (4), ADAPTATION (1). It was as Distributor of Life is Beautiful that he won his second Goya Award (Spanish Academy Award). Furthermore, this Group Division effort is accredited by Cannes Film Festival Golden Palms, Golden Globes, Berlin International Film Festival Silver Bears, a Venetian Golden Lion, San Sebastian and Sitges Festivals Awards, and Generalitat de Catalunya Prizes (NUOVO CINEMA PARADISO).

At present, the Lauren Group represents American Movie Companies like MIRAMAX INTERNATIONAL, SUMMIT ENTERTAINMENT, GOOD MACHINE, ARTISAN and UNITED ARTISTS FILMS. Since 1994, Walt Disney's films are also distributed by the Lauren Group in some areas of Catalonia.

Finally, the Lauren Group is a model company; its quality is certified by a long array of honours such as the Popularity Oscar (1996), the "Prestigio de Barcelona" [Prestige of Barcelona] (1986), the "Barcelona Image" (1986), the "Generalitat de Catalunya Best Film Distribution Company Award" (1988-1990), the Best Film Distribution Company of the Year Award (1999), the "Best Support for Cinematic Art Award" at the Lorca Spanish Cinema Week (2000), the Special Mention at the Top Ten Marketing Leaders Awards (2000) and finally Euroaward XXI (2001). Recently, he has been awarded with the Mobility Award from the Barcelona Town Hall (2001).

Video Distribution

Along these last 20 years, the big success in distributing movies has been encouraging Lauren to publish all its releases on video format through Lauren Video Hogar; this later firm has the 15% of the video-tape rent market.

Willing to be up to day, Lauren Video Hogar has also beginning to offer DVD copies from such important titles as PULP FICTION, JUDGE DREDD, SCREAM, SCREAM 2, and THE ENGLISH PATIENT, which have not only the best image and sound quality this technology can offer -Dolby Digital 5.1 (Ac-3)-, but also the Making Off, Full Cast, Crew and Dubbing Lists, Biofilmographies, Production Notes, Trailers, Original Publicity, Shooting on set Images,...in short, all that the audience may need to be fulfilled. In addition, Lauren is the first firm that is publishing its DVD titles in Catalan.

Production

Never the least, the Lauren Group has also been involved in the adventure of producing movies -production or coproduction contributions-. Among the 17 titles Lauren has supported, we draw attention to LA RUBIA DEL BAR, BAR-CEL-ONA, ANGOIXA, LA LEY DEL DESEO, EL PLACER DE MATAR, BATON ROUGE, and, very particularly, MUJERES AL BORDE DE UN ATAQUE DE NERVIOS which was nominated for the Best Foreign Language Picture Academy Award (1989) and has worldwide collected 33 million dollars. He won his first Goya Award (Spanish Academy Award) as producer of this film.

Showing

Lauren Cinemes is the Group division that is in charge of the film showing. Since 1995, Lauren Cinemes has been offering to the audience, its ultimate customers, the most advanced projection and sound systems, and the best comfort as for theatre design and additional services at its establishments.

In 1997, Cinemes Lauren committed itself to a new movie concept:: “multiplex”, based on the creation of true family entertainment centres which focus on the movies and create a totally new line: Fast-Food products, giving the audience a variety of offers (Cinema Dolç, Lauren Pizza, Lauren Burguer, Lauren Sandwich...).
“ Multiplex” as a new concept provides the medium-large sized theaters with the three sound systems approved by the Hollywood Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences: DOLBY DIGITAL, SONY DYNAMIC DIGITAL SOUND (SDDS) & DIGITAL SOUND (DTS). All the theaters are provided as well with the sound reproduction systems DOLBY SURROUND.EX & THX de Lucas Film which are high quality sound systems. All seats are anatomically designed in order to secure all the comfort.

Lauren Cinemes wants to approach its movie offer to the most audience it can reach. So, target is to set theaters both in the quarters of big towns and in the big shopping centre areas in order to attain villages with few populations.

Figures themselves confirm it: in 1998, Lauren Cinemes had 80 screens with a total capacity of 18.012 spectators; in 1999 there was an increase in 4 theaters, with 18.449 total spectators. During the first 2000 six months, 2 new complexes have been inaugurated, and the year 2000 finished with 126 screens. At present, Lauren Exhibition has 17.357 seats in 11 theaters, located in the following key cities: Barcelona, Blanes (Girona), Viladecans and Vilanova i la Geltrú (Barcelona), Tarragona, Lleida, Reus (Tarragona) and Getxo (Vizcaya).

All these achievements are helping Lauren Films receive prizes like the Best National Film Exhibitor of the Year from the last Expocine Movie Market in Sitges in 1999.