Rumours that the cinema hall within the Continente shopping centre in Portimão has closed for good have been dispelled by the centre’s director.
Luis Pinto Soares, director of Continente Shopping Centre, told the Algarve Resident on Wednesday that national film distributing company Castello Lopes and Continente Portimão had decided not to renew the contract, which ended at the end of 2012.
The cinemas have been closed since the beginning of the year, but the shopping centre director hopes it won’t be for long as other national and international film distributing companieshave already submitted proposals to take over the space and “negotiations are in place”.
“Another film distributing company will replace Castello Lopes,” confirmed Luís Pinto Soares, but for the time being the cinema hall will be temporarily closed.
Similar situations happened in Bragança (north of Portugal), Madeira and Azores, where it is reported that Castello Lopes ceased contracts with local shopping centres.
According to Jornal da Madeira, the suspension of the contract at Madeira Shopping Centre in Funchal was due to “strong competition from Zon Lusomundo cinemas”, another film distributing company in Portugal. Nelson Rodrigues
