Dolby Delivers Premium Digital Cinema Experience to the 2011 Toronto International Film Festival

Sept. 7, 2011 - PRLog -- Dolby Laboratories, Inc. , announced today that it will provide a suite of Dolby technologies and services to the Toronto International Film Festival® (TIFF) to deliver a premium digital experience for filmmakers and festival attendees. The festival, held September 8 to 18, 2011, will feature Dolby technologies, including Dolby® Digital Cinema, Dolby 3D, the Dolby Professional Reference Monitor, and Dolby surround sound solutions, among other encoding and decoding solutions.

“As we continue our work to put filmmaking and the Toronto International Film Festival on a global stage, Dolby is a key ingredient and partner to ensure we do that at the highest levels,” said Andrei Gravelle, Technical Manager, TIFF. “While Dolby has been the recognized standard bearer for cinema audio, now they are proving themselves to be a force for the visual image too. The festival’s transition to Digital Cinema has been a learning curve, and the Dolby engineers that work with us have been an invaluable mentor and source of advice.”

The state-of-the-art TIFF Bell Lightbox, equipped with Dolby 3D and Dolby Surround 7.1 capabilities, will host a number of official festival selections. 3D titles include The Flying Machine, A Monster in Paris, Pina, Twixt, and the National Film Board production of ORA. As part of Short Cuts Canada programme 6, ORA will be presented in Dolby Surround 7.1, as will the world premiere of Samsara, from Magidson Films, Inc.

“This year’s Toronto International Film Festival brings together some of the best Dolby technologies and services available to deliver a digital experience that audiences will remember long after they leave,” said Bill Allen, Senior Director, Content Services, Dolby Laboratories. “The team at TIFF continues to push the boundaries for imaging and sound quality, making the festival one of the truly premier industry events.  It continues to be an influential event for filmmakers to share their artistic visions, and Dolby is proud to be a part of it.”

Dolby has worked closely with TIFF over the past two decades. This year will feature Dolby Digital Cinema servers and audio processors within every Premiere festival venue. Beyond providing technical support, Dolby Content Services mastered films, high-definition videotapes, and digital cinema packages (DCPs) that will play at the festival. Dolby E decoding solutions will also provide emerging filmmakers the flexibility to showcase their 5.1-channel mixes before engaging in the complex film postproduction process.

New to the festival’s digital technology repertoire is the Dolby Professional Reference Monitor. A precise color grading display device, the Dolby Professional Reference Monitor will be used to provide quality control in the festival’s inspection facility.

To ensure that audiences experience the highest-quality presentations possible, Dolby engineers will be on-site to prepare all venues to meet Dolby standards and to support filmmakers so they can accurately share their creative vision, whether they use film or digital cinema, in 2D or 3D.

Prior to the start of the festival, Dolby will also host SURROUNDED @ toronto, with a panel discussion called “Innovations Altering the Entertainment Landscape,” to be held in the TIFF Bell Lightbox on September 7, from 8:00 to 9:00 p.m. Moderated by Steve Pond, Film Columnist for TheWrap.com, this panel will focus on cutting-edge imaging tools and the emotional impact of surround sound. Industry leaders will share insights on how new content creation tools and playback solutions are impacting the entertainment experience.

For real-time updates on the panel, follow twitter.com/dolby#surrounded. Additional information about Dolby’s involvement is available at www.dolby.com/press.

For more information on festival screenings, to view schedules, and to buy tickets, visit www.tiff.net/festival/.

About Dolby 3D and Dolby Surround 7.1
Dolby 3D technology provides an efficient and flexible solution designed to deliver a superior 3D experience to every seat in the house. Dolby’s 3D solution uses a unique full-spectrum color-filter technology that provides realistic color reproduction and extremely sharp images. Theaters equipped with Dolby 3D retain compatibility for 2D presentations with a filter wheel that retracts for 2D presentations, ensuring a bright, crisp, and colorful experience every time. Additionally, Dolby Laboratories provides cost-effective and environmentally friendly passive reusable 3D glasses. Since November 2007, Dolby has shipped more than 8,300 Dolby 3D systems and has one of the largest global footprints, with hundreds of exhibitor partners in more than 80 countries.

With the ability for content creators to mix in a discrete 7.1 format, Dolby Surround 7.1 provides four surround zones to better orchestrate audio channels for both 2D and 3D movies in a theater environment. The four surround zones incorporate the traditional Left Surround and Right Surround with new Back Surround Left and Back Surround Right zones. The addition of the two Back Surround zones enhances directionality in panning 360 degrees around the theater. Dolby Surround 7.1 format comprises eight channels of audio and has the following channel layout: Left, Center, Right, Low-Frequency Effects (LFE), Left Surround, Right Surround, Back Surround Left, and Back Surround Right. Currently over 2,100 screens are equipped with Dolby Surround 7.1.

To find a cinema with Dolby 3D and Dolby Surround 7.1 near you, visit http://www.dolby.com/consumer/motion_picture/ddcinemas/in....

About the Dolby Professional Reference Monitor
Filling the gap left by the CRT, the Dolby Professional Reference Monitor delivers true blacks, exceptional dark detail, high contrast, wide dynamic range, and precise color rendering. It is one of the most consistent, accurate reference monitors for creating any type of entertainment content. The award-winning Professional Reference Monitor was used on numerous high-profile projects this past year, including the 4K restoration of Apocalypse Now and the making of The Social Network.

About Dolby Laboratories
Dolby Laboratories  is the global leader in technologies that are essential elements in the best entertainment experiences. Founded in 1965 and best known for high-quality audio and surround sound, Dolby creates innovations that enrich entertainment at the movies, at home, or on the go. Visit www.dolby.com for more information.

Dolby and the double-D symbol are registered trademarks of Dolby Laboratories. All other trademarks remin the property of their respective owners. S11/24840 DLB-G