With the exhibition sector at its most bullish for a number of years, this year's Cinema Expo International in Amsterdam, from 29 June to 2 July, saw this summer's event movies showcased for exhibitors in often spectacular fashion.

Mr Bean made a memorable arrival, navigating his Mini through the dinner tables during the PolyGram lunch on his way to pick up Rowan Atkinson's Award of Achievement in Comedy. And if the reception Bean received from attendees at its CEI screening is anything to go by, the US and most of the rest of the world will be following Australia, New Zealand and The Netherlands in more than fully repaying PolyGram's faith in the project.

Other standouts were the trailers for Alien Resurrection and Roland Emmerich's Godzilla, which created a genuine buzz in the theatre, and a 10-minute teaser for Titanic, which seemed to provoke the most animated discussions of the week. And BVI recreated ancient Greece in a disused gasworks for the party after the screening of Hercules. Togas were compulsory...

Distributor of the year went to Fox's Jim Gianopulos, The English Patient producer Saul Zaentz picked up the CEI Award of Excellence, Disney's Peter Schneider and Roy E Disney shared the International Creative Achievement Awar Luc Besson picked up the Award for Excellence in Filmmaking and, in an especially popular choice, Albert Bert was named exhibitor of the year.
John Adair