The origins of Cinema City date back to 1929 when the Greidinger family opened the first cinema in Haifa, Israel. The subsequent years were marked by the development of the Company’s business in the Israeli market, including such landmark events as the launch of the first multiplex in Israel in the early 1980s. Today Cinema City is opening in Israel state-of-the-art megaplexes, which will replace it first generation of mulitplex theatres.
In the second half of 1990s, Cinema City began to expand internationally. The Company’s primary focus was Central and Eastern Europe. In 1997, the Company launched its first multiplex in Budapest, Hungary, and in 1999, it entered the Czech and Polish markets. In 1999 Cinema City signed a strategic agreement with IMAX® and since that time the Company has been the exclusive operator of IMAX® theatres in Poland, the Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Romania and Hungary.
In 2000 the Company opened its first multiplex in Poland – Sadyba Best mall in Warsaw. In2002 Cinema City achieved a leading position in Poland by acquiring fourmultiplexes from one of its main competitors at the time. Also in 2002 the Company’s New Age Media subsidiary was established to run the growing cinema advertising activity in the Cinema City multiplexes.
In 2003 the Company established it film distribution company, Forum Film Poland, to represent Walt Disney as well as other leading US and Polish studios in Poland. In 2005 the film distribution company – Forum Film Hungary – was established in Hungary. In 2006, the Company opened New Age Media Hungary.
In 2004 the Company launched its activity in Bulgaria, which culminated in 2006 with the opening of its first multiplex and IMAX® cinema in Sofia.
In 2006 Cinema City signed its first lease agreements for the multiplexes in Romania. The first Cinema City multiplex in Romania opened in November 2007
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