MacGillivray Freeman Films Announces New Giant Screen Documentary Releases and Creates Customized Market Opportunities to Keep Local Audiences Engaged with Educational Entertainment

The company's films National Parks Adventure, Dream Big: Engineering Our World and other titles will be brought to conventional theaters and drive-ins for readily available educational content

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MacGillivray Freeman Films

Feb 11, 2021, 12:00 ET

LOS ANGELES, Feb. 11, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- MacGillivray Freeman Films (MFF), the world's foremost independent producer and distributor of original giant-screen 70mm films, announced its 2021 line-up of premier, giant screen educational documentaries as well as customized market-by-market opportunities the company has spearheaded to bring educational entertainment to audiences across the country.

This year, MFF is looking forward to the revamped theatrical release of audience favorites Into America's Wild and Ancient Caves following the films' limited release last year. The company will also launch three new giant screen documentaries: Everest: The Director's Cut, commemorating the 25th anniversary of the company's historic expedition in 1996 to capture the first-ever IMAX images from the world's highest mountain, as a special edition of the original 1998 film which became the highest-grossing giant-screen documentary of all time; Ireland, an adventure across the Emerald Isle in search of the island nation's immense natural beauty and rich cultural heritage; and Astronaut: Ocean to Orbit, featuring ISS Commander Chris Cassidy and NASA astronaut Jeanette Epps, about NASA's astronaut training program in underwater environments designed to simulate life in space. MFF also looks forward to releasing future content for 2022 and has acquired the worldwide distribution rights to Secrets of the Sea, an exciting new giant screen film from world-renowned underwater filmmakers Howard and Michele Hall.

Additionally, MFF has forged partnerships with industry leaders to expand the reach of its films beyond the markets where the films play exclusively in museum-based giant screen theaters. Through a partnership with MetaMedia, one of the fastest growing entertainment technology companies in the world, a number of MFF films will be shown at conventional commercial theaters and drive-ins throughout North America, including National Parks Adventure, America's Musical Journey and Great Bear Rainforest. Available for group and educational screenings, all the included films will be packaged with marketing materials and specially developed educator lesson plans.

In 2020, MFF pivoted its distribution strategies for school group screenings, as local gathering restrictions prevented audiences from gathering at cinemas and museums where MFF features are traditionally shown. Through creative partnerships with esteemed science centers and museums across North America, MFF created Virtual Field Trip packages and made films like America's Musical Journey, Dream Big, and National Parks Adventure available for educators to stream to their classes, ensuring that students had access to inspiring educational content, even as schools and museums remained closed in many markets.

"We're looking forward to 2021 and our exciting line-up of educational films that we're proud to bring to market this year as more and more theaters re-open and it becomes safe to go to the movies again. Films like Into America's Wild, Ancient Caves, Everest, Ireland and Astronaut: Ocean to Orbit will take audiences around the world and into space and will deliver immersive, you-are-there experiences with the power of giant screen cinematography and storytelling," said Shaun MacGillivray, producer and president of MacGillivray Freeman Films. "Although seeing the magic of our films on the giant screen is an irreplicable experience, we also look forward to continuing to expand the reach of our films beyond our traditional distribution platforms and markets, whether through at-home streaming, bringing our films directly to schools across the country, virtual field trips, or in conventional theater settings and drive-ins. Our mission is to inspire lifelong learning in global audiences with high-quality educational entertainment."

About MacGillivray Freeman Films
MacGillivray Freeman Films is the world's foremost independent producer and distributor of giant screen 70mm films with more than 45 films for IMAX and giant-screen theatres to its credit. Throughout the company's 50-year history, its films have won numerous international awards including two Academy Award^® nominations for The Living Sea and Dolphins and three films inducted into the IMAX Hall of Fame, including Everest, the highest grossing giant screen film of all time. MacGillivray Freeman's films are known for their artistry and celebration of science and the natural world. It is the first documentary film company to reach the one-billion-dollar benchmark for worldwide box office. Visit https://macgillivrayfreeman.com/.

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