Movie theaters start to reopen in Medellín on November 26 after being closed for seven months due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Royal Films, Cinépolis, Cinemark and Procinal announced the reopening of their cinemas in Colombia starting on November 26, after they were closed for seven months due to the pandemic.
Through official networks, the movie theater companies said that the industry has unified it efforts to resume customer service, complying with the biosecurity protocols established by the National Government for intelligent selective isolation.
Movie theater were permitted to start reopening in August but only one movie theater located in Medellín opened about six weeks ago, which is the Museo de Arte Moderno (MAMM). Other movie theaters did not reopen due to the strict biosafety protocols.
Cinemark in El Tesoro Mall reopens on November 26
Movie Theaters Start to Reopen in Medellín and Other Cities
In Medellín, the following are the first four movie theaters scheduled to reopen on November 26:
- Cinemark in the Arkadia mall
- Cinemark in the El Tesoro malls
- Royal Films in the Premium Plaza mall
- Cinemas Procinal in Terminal del Sur (bus terminal)
Movie theaters in other cities in Colombia will also start to reopen. And other movie theaters in Medellín are expected to gradually reopen.
Among the films that people will be able to see are the premieres of The Witches and The New Mutants. Also, the second installment of Wonder Woman is expected to premiere in December, a film that is hoped will help the box office in Colombia in a difficult year for cinema.
By January 3, 2021, 19 movie theaters in Medellín and the Aburrá Valley were open including Cinemark (El Tesoro and Arkadia) and several theaters from Cinépolis, Royal Film and Procinal plus car theaters at Mayorca mall and the movie theater at Museo de Arte Moderno (MAMM).
Cine Colombia in Oviedo Mall in El Poblado, Cine Colombia will not reopen its theaters in 2020
Cine Colombia Will Not Reopen Yet
However, Cine Colombia, the largest movie theater chain in Colombia, will not open its theaters for the remainder of the year, which was confirmed by Munir Falah, president of the company:
Our colleagues in the cinematographic exhibition: Cinemark, Cinepolis and Royal Films, have set the date for the reopening of their cinemas in Colombia, for next Thursday, November 26. Cine Colombia wishes them the best and we will be attentive to collaborate with them as much as we can.
And on January 3, according to El Colombiano. Cine Colombia will not open until March.
Royal Films in Premium Plaza Mall reopens on November 26
Movie Theater Chains in Colombia
We have a separate article about movie theaters in Medellín. Colombia has six major movie theater chains:
- Cine Colombia
- Cineland
- Cinemark
- Cinemas Procinal
- Cinépolis
- Royal Films
These six chains have a total of over 170 movie theaters in Colombia. And in Medellín, these chains have a total of about 20 movie theaters.
All of these chains have movie theaters in Medellín except for Cineland. Cineland only has 10 movie theaters located in Barranquilla, Cartagena, Funza, Neiva, Quíbdó, Riohacha, Santa Marta, Urabá and Valledupar.
Initially only three of the movie theater chains will start reopening movie theaters in Medellín: Cinemark, Royal Films and Cinemas Procinal.
Biosafety Protocols for Movie Theaters
Movie theaters have established biosafety protocols to minimize contacts. Among these actions is contactless payment, purchases through digital portals and use of biosafety measure including:
- Between each movie, a complete disinfection will be performed to avoid possible COVID-19 infections.
- Capacity is limited to guarantee physical distance between attendees.
- Wearing face masks is required.
- You can buy food and drinks but they will be delivered packed and can only be consumed inside the theaters. Only at that time will it be allowed to remove a mask.
- There is an increase in the time between movies to avoid crowds of people.
- Common areas such as corridors, bathrooms and the area to buy tickets will be regularly disinfected.
- Temperature will be taken and any person with a temperature higher than normal or shows any suspicious symptoms will not be able to enter a movie theater.
- Family groups or groups of people residing in the same home may use a maximum of four chairs or continuous spaces, maintaining a distance of two meters from other groups of attendees.
Museo de Arte Moderno (MAMM) Was the First Movie Theater to Reopen
The first movie theater that reopened in Medellín was the Museo de Arte Modeno (MAMM), which for approximately six weeks has been showing a daily show from Thursday to Sunday.
In MAMM, they have averaged 30 people per movie, of the 50 that they can receive according to biosafety protocols, which gives them an occupation of 60 percent.
Before the pandemic shutdown, the average was 34 people, which considers that there were between 3 and 4 movies per day, and today they only have 1 movie daily. The MAMM theater has a total capacity of 256 seats.
In addition, since July 3, the Cinemas Procinal drive-in in Mayorca mall has been operating, with good results, with an average occupancy of 80 percent in each of the daily functions. The enclosure, on the terrace of the Mayorca mall, has a capacity to receive 50 vehicles (with 3 people per car).
The Bottom Line: Movie Theaters Start to Reopen in Medellín on November 26
Most places have started to reopen in Medellín including restaurants, churches, museums, bars, and gymnasiums.
Starting on November 26, the movie theaters start to reopen in Medellín and other cities in Colombia after being closed for about seven months.
Going to the movies in Medellín and Colombia is popular. And ticket prices can be about half the price as ticket prices in the U.S.
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Editors note: updated on January 3, 2021 with information that 19 movie theaters in Medellín and the Aburrá Valley are open and that Cine Colombia will not open until March 2021.