Press Releases

State-of-the-Art Movie Theatre Coming to Grand Boulevard at Sandestin®

Montecito Entertainment Complex Brings BIG D Experience and Ovation Club

Miramar Beach, Fla., (August 24, 2011) – Grand Boulevard at Sandestin®, the mixed-use Town Center located at the entrance to Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort® and Carmike Cinemas, Inc. (NASDAQ: CKEC), a leading DIGITAL cinema and 3D motion picture exhibitor, today announced the projected summer 2012 opening of a new Carmike Cinema entertainment complex in Grand Boulevard at Sandestin®.

The new Carmike theatre, named the Montecito 10, will feature ten screens with total seating for 1,800 and will be highlighted by a state-of-the-art “BIGD” auditorium, and Ovation Club, Carmike’s premium theatre environments.

Notes Carmike President and CEO David Passman: “We’re providing the ultimate entertainment experience that centerpieces large format digital with bigger screens, bigger sound, and luxurious theatre seating for cutting edge presentation and the definitive enjoyment of our audiences. With the opening of the new location, the Destin area joins a select and growing list of communities across the nation offering Carmike theatre-goers the exciting new “BIGD” format and Ovation Club.”

The Ovation Club is a showcase within the theatre, offering a more intimate movie-going experience with lush leather seating, swing around tables, a wall-to-wall screen and premium food and beverages. The menu features delectable appetizers and entrees like Crab Cakes with Lemon-Dill sauce, Caribbean Jerky Shrimp and hand prepared tasty sandwiches like sliced Black Forest Ham and Swiss with Honey Dijon mayo and the signature dessert, the Ovation Brownie Bottom Pie. Beer and wine will be served in the Ovation Club pending the approval of local authorities.

Grand Boulevard at Sandestin® provides Carmike’s new theatre location a strategic high-traffic retail center known for its’ grand shopping and dining experience and beautifully landscaped environment where patrons can enjoy leisurely walks to the theatre, nationally known shops and restaurants while appreciating the Town Center atmosphere. Grand Boulevard is convenient to the beaches of South Walton along Northwest Florida’s Gulf Coast.

“Bringing a theatre group of Carmike’s high quality to Grand Boulevard and the Sandestin area is something we recognized as being a very important compliment to the Town Center and has been the number one requested category from Walton County and Sandestin residents,” said Stacey Brady, spokesperson for Grand Boulevard. “Along with providing a boost to the local economy, the theatre will be a significant attraction for both the local residents as well as the visitors to our area.”

Expected to draw area movie-goers to the “BIGD” Experience will be the totally enhanced theatre amenities offered by a wall-to-wall screen measuring over 60 feet wide and three stories tall, boosted by the latest in 7.1 surround sound and Digital projection of both 2D and 3D features. In technical terms, Carmike’s “BIGD” DIGITAL Experience is powered by a cutting edge Christie Brilliant 3-D flash projector. Images are projected onto a colossal wall-to-wall, ceiling-to-floor screen. The end result is a light output of 30,000 lumens, creating a picture quality with noticeably higher resolution than HD.

The new environment will be further embellished by the comfort of plush leather high-back rocking seats placed for optimal viewing in a stadium seating configuration.

“The success over the past years of 3-D releases for features like ‘Avatar,’ ‘Toy Story 3’, ‘Transformers Dark of the Moon,’ and the record-breaking new ‘Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows Part 2,’ proves that audiences are excited about and enjoy the new DIGITAL experience, and are demanding it,” notes David Passman. “These early successes will no doubt persuade producers to release more movies in this format, and with the “BIGD” experience – in either 3-D or 2-D DIGITAL – Carmike has the full capability to provide our audiences with the technology and total luxury that brings theatre-going to a new level.”

The complex will also be able to screen major sporting events, concerts and other special viewings. Additionally, there will be venues for non-movie events such as live performances and church services. Commenting on the summer 2012 addition of Destin to the Carmike presentation of the “BIGD” Experience locations, Terrell Mayton, Director of Marketing noted: “Whether it be a movie, concert, sporting event, motivational speaker or church service, patrons will find “BIGD” placing them at the heart of the event.”

About Grand Boulevard

Grand Boulevard is the shop, dine, play and stay Town Center located on Northwest Florida’s Beaches. Based on the prominent mixed-use architectural model, Grand Boulevard offers a dynamic lifestyle experience with convenient access to a multitude of exclusive shopping and dining options, entertainment, professional services, corporate offices and lodging. Grand Boulevard is a Howard Group and Merchants Retail Partners property. For more information, please call (850) 654-5929 or visit www.grandboulevard.com.