The Inter-Society for the Enhancement of Cinema Presentation, Inc. (The Inter-Society) is pleased to announce that Jack Kline, Chairman, President and CEO of Christie’s operating companies, will receive the ‘2014 Ken Mason Inter-Society Award’. The annual award honours an individual who has made outstanding long-term contributions leading to the overall improvement of the motion picture experience. The award will be presented to Jack by Susie Beiersdorf, the Inter-Society’s president and Vice President of Sales at Sony Electronics, on Tuesday 25th March in conjunction with CinemaCon 2014.
“I am honoured to present Jack with this well- deserved award for his on-going support of our industry, both personally and professionally,” said Susie Beiersdorf, the Inter-Society’s president and Vice President of Sales at Sony Electronics. “Under Jack’s leadership, Christie has become a major innovator in the entertainment industry including the first commercial deployment of digital cinema.”
“Having known Jack for over 20 years, I can think of very few individuals more deserving of this award,” said Dan Huerta, Vice President of Sight & Sound, AMC Theatres. “Jack has helped grow Christie into one of the most recognised technology and service companies in the cinema and digital signage industries. His strategic vision and commitment to succeed have benefitted many, including cinema operators and moviegoers.”
“Jack Kline is a true pioneer in theatrical technologies,” said last year’s Ken Mason award recipient, Jerry Pierce. “Jack made the leap to aggressively move Christie to digital projection, taking a business risk and leading the way. His efforts pushed Christie to be on the leading edge of digital projection.”
“I commend the Inter-Society in its selection of Jack Kline as this year’s recipient of the Ken Mason award,” said Jeffery S. Miller, President, Studio Operations, Walt Disney Studios. “Jack’s contribution to the development and deployment of digital cinema technology has vastly improved the movie-going experience. His long-term commitment to the motion picture industry, along with his insight and leadership in the projection and digital cinema arenas, deserve gratitude and recognition.”
“Jack is one of the most well-respected and trusted individuals I know in this business,” said Chuck Goldwater, Executive Vice President, Digiplex Cinemas. “For more than 30 years I have enjoyed working with Jack and watching him help lead the industry through significant technological advances, most recently into the digital cinema era. At Cinedigm Jack’s role as our partner in the pioneering Christie/AIX deployment program was vital in making that such a successful venture. I applaud Inter-Society for selecting Jack to receive this honour, for which he is so richly and uniquely deserving.”
“It’s great when someone you’ve known and respected for many years gets acknowledged by their peers,” said Ioan Allen, SVP, Dolby Laboratories. “Jack is a gentleman of the industry – well-deserved.”