California Science Center to Open 'Backyard Wilderness 3D'

LOS ANGELES, Sept. 9, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Backyard Wilderness 3D, an Arise Media / Archipelago Films production in collaboration with HHMI Tangled Bank Studios will open at the California Science Center on October 4, 2019. The film equips explorers of all ages with the tools and inspiration to discover the wonders of nature that may be at their very fingertips. 

Created by Emmy Award-winning and Oscar^® nominated filmmakers Andrew Young and Susan Todd, Backyard Wilderness 3D will surprise and entertain viewers with the unexpected delights of nature that surround a suburban northeastern home.  With cameras mounted inside dens and nests, the film captures a variety of unique wildlife imagery and behavior in rare and intricate detail as the seasons cycle through an entire year. It even reveals the animal inhabitants moving along forest floors and pond bottoms.

Backyard Wilderness 3D follows Katie, a young girl, and her family, who are absorbed by an array of electronic devices and, at first, oblivious to the natural world just outside their home. Katie gradually discovers the intricate secrets that nature has hidden so close to her front door. The film reminds us that Wi-Fi is not the only connection that matters and that sometimes in ordinary places, you can uncover extraordinary things that can change you forever – you just need to step outside.

"The Giant Screen is the perfect medium to engage families of all ages and showcase the beauty of Backyard Wilderness 3D – especially with Andrew Young's outstanding cinematography and a compelling story of the transformation and discovery," said SK Films CEO, Wendy MacKeigan. "Our hope is for the audiences to become immersed in the splendor that the movie captures in this large format film."

After seeing the film, guests can further explore the natural world around them by visiting Ecosystems in the California Science Center. Ecosystems is an unprecedented blend of live plants and animals, and hands-on science exhibits in 11 immersive environments. From walking through a living kelp forest to experimenting on a polar ice wall, explorers will investigate some of the Earth's most fascinating ecosystems. Highlights include a 188,000-gallon kelp tank populated with live fish, kelp and other marine life; a desert flash flood; and a special gallery dedicated to our own backyard: The urban ecology of Los Angeles.

"We are so pleased to add Backyard Wilderness 3D to our IMAX theater schedule," said Jeff Rudolph, President of the California Science Center. "We anticipate the film will stimulate a deeper connection, among our guests, to the plants, animals, and ecosystems that surround us in our every day lives."

"Backyard Wilderness 3D, through breathtaking camerawork shows us an intimate portrait of the world around us," said evolutionary biologist, Vice President for Science Education and Executive Director of HHMI Tangled Bank Studios Dr. Sean B. Carroll.  "The goal of this film, coupled with our educational outreach effort, is to inspire the next generation of scientists and explorers to look closely and observe the natural world around them to better understand how it works."

Backyard Wilderness 3D, winner of 13 awards, including Best Children's Film at the International Wildlife Film Festival, is produced and directed by Andrew Young and Susan Todd, who wrote the film together with SK's Wendy MacKeigan (Flight of the Butterflies, Amazon Adventure). "We're thrilled to have made this movie," said Andrew and Susan.  "We live in a world where we are consumed with technology and the notion of instant gratification. Our desire for this film is to inspire parents and children alike to slow down and embrace the small marvels of nature. No matter where you live, we all have access to unique and amazing outdoor environments that we can explore together at any age."

For more information on the film, please visit www.BackyardWildernessFilm.com.

About Arise Media / Archipelago Films
Archipelago Films is a production company created by Academy Award-nominated, Emmy-Award-winning filmmakers Susan Todd and Andrew Young. Arise Media is the non-profit they formed to make innovative media about the most urgent social and environmental challenges facing the planet, and to inspire a new appreciation for our own interconnected role in nature. With a well-established track record of directing, producing and filming, for television, theatrical and now 3D IMAX^®/Giant Screens, Archipelago and Arise aim to bring passionate and entertaining films to global audiences through the highest quality visual storytelling. For more information, please visit www.archipelagofilms.com, www.arisemedia.org

About SK Films
SK Films is an award-winning content provider and a global leader in the IMAX^®/Giant Screen industry. SK works across various genres and platforms, including theatrical, television and digital media, with a special emphasis on creating high impact natural history and science related content. SK has a reputation as one of the most accomplished and respected producers and distributors supplying 3D, 2D and Dome product to IMAX and other Giant Screen theatres worldwide, with a mission to entertain and inspire audiences and immerse them in the awe and wonder of the world we live in. For more information, please visit www.SKFilms.ca 

About HHMI Tangled Bank Studios
HHMI Tangled Bank Studios is a production company established and funded by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) as an extension of its longstanding science education mission. Dedicated to the creation of original science documentaries for broadcast, theatrical and digital distribution, the company's award-winning programs address important contemporary issues and capture compelling stories of discovery across all branches of scientific inquiry. For more information, please visit www.tangledbankstudios.org. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. HHMI is a science philanthropy whose mission is to advance basic biomedical research and science education for the benefit of humanity. The institute is the largest private supporter of science education in the country.

About the California Science Center 

The California Science Center is a dynamic destination where families, adults and children can explore the wonders of science through interactive exhibits, live demonstrations, innovative programs and awe-inspiring films.

The California Science Center and IMAX Theater are located in historic Exposition Park just west of the Harbor (110) Freeway at 700 Exposition Park Drive, Los Angeles. Open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., except on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Day. For recorded information, including IMAX showtimes, call 323.SCIENCE (323.724-3623). IMAX ticket prices range from $6.75 to $8.95. For advance ticket purchases, group rates, or to make reservations for any visiting group of 15 or more (required), call 213.744-2019. Cash only parking is available in the guest lot at Figueroa and 39th/Exposition Park Drive at $12 per car, and $30 for commercial buses or oversize vehicles. Both the Science Center and IMAX Theater are wheelchair accessible. For further information, please visit our website at www.californiasciencecenter.org.

Media Contacts:
Boutique Publicity
818.305.6053
Ariana Swan: [email protected]
Risa Chapnick: [email protected]
California Science Center
213.744.7446
Kristina Kurasz: [email protected]

SOURCE California Science Center Foundation

Related Links

http://www.californiasciencecenter.org