There are some cinemas that use 35mm projectors, these are only used for special events now. Modern cinemas which show any new releases are exclusively distributed in digital format.
Digital projectors have been used since 2005 in the UK, however much earlier in America and China, other countries are now moving in the same direction. Many cinemas use a system called DCP which is a USB pen that gets shipped around inside a case. It improves accountability on behalf of cinema-pirates, each pen has a certain number of licences on it. A DCP is simply a file that requires activation from a licence. The DCP is signed for by the cinema, and then the projectionist is given the licence activation code to allow the content to be played. Satellite technology is being explored in order to reduce the cost of distribution (which has already more than halved in the past 10 years). Under satellite systems, the film is downloaded from a secure server and the film is activated for use via satellite; projectors can even be controlled remotely through the satellite, which centralizes the entire process externally. This is a method that has been spearheaded in the UK by such projects as National Theatre Live and Opera Live. Whilst they do broadcast globally, they remain a minority interest for exhibitors (although a growing one, due to their success). The legacy of these projects will not, however, come from their content but by their method of distribution. Even now, many distributors are promoting their ease of use as leverage to persuade developers to pursue satellite distribution as it reduces the overheads dramatically.
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