| LOS
ANGELES, August 20 -- This fall, the California
Science Center kicks off a brand new event that
celebrates the power, mystery and vital importance
of the ocean. OCEANFEST 2003 will take place at
the California Science Center’s IMAX Theatre
from October 3 through 13 and will feature a film
festival of giant-screen documentaries that capture
the thrill of ocean exploration, reveal the astounding
diversity of life beneath the sea and spark a deeper
appreciation of how the ocean affects all of planet
earth. The festival also includes an ocean-themed
fair with creative educational activities for the
whole family.
At
the center of the celebration are three stirring
IMAX documentaries from the award-winning team at
MacGillivray Freeman Films (MFF), who specialize
in bringing audiences totally immersing cinematic
experiences from the world’s most forbidding
and remote environments (such as Everest
and To Fly.) The festival will include
a retrospective of MFF’s most popular and
acclaimed undersea adventures, including two Academy
Award® nominees: The Living Sea
and Dolphins. It will
also present a public special preview run of MFF’s
critically acclaimed new release Coral
Reef Adventure, a personal voyage
of discovery through the spectacular, yet endangered,
coral reefs of the South Pacific. The film debuts
in theatres across Los Angeles in January 2004.
Also joining the film festival lineup is the forthcoming
feature Volcanoes of the Deep Sea,
produced by The Stephen Low Company in association
with Rutgers University, which follows a team of
scientists as they explore the ultra-deep volcanic
world of hydrothermal vents and reveal the fantastical
life-forms that dwell in this rarely seen part of
the ocean.
OCEANFEST
2003 will offer additional special activities for
families from 12:00 to 5:00 p.m. on Saturday, October
4, including a tide pool, ocean science activities,
an interactive coral reef exhibit, face painting,
and an inflatable sea creature for kids to crawl
through, among others.
“The
California Science Center is delighted to host OCEANFEST
2003, a fun film-going event that will give people
an opportunity to learn about, experience and truly
become part of the ocean habitat that we all depend
on across the world,” stated Jeffrey Rudolph,
President and CEO of the California Science Center.
Rudolph
added, “Oceans cover 71% of the earth’s
surface and, although we in Los Angeles live on
the coast, there is far more to know about this
remarkable ecosystem than meets the eye. With important
new films such as Coral Reef Adventure
and Volcanoes of the Deep Sea,
as well as the always popular hits Dolphins
and The Living Sea, the
public will get a chance to dive into the latest
scientific knowledge about the sea with an unforgettable
view. MacGillivray Freeman and The Stephen Low Company
create films that truly bring science to life. Combining
great storytelling and innovative photography, these
films not only have a sense of adventure but create
an emotional impact that can bring people closer
to nature than they ever imagined.”
For Greg MacGillivray, who is not only a renowned
filmmaker but also a passionate advocate for ocean
conservation, OCEANFEST 2003 represents a unique
opportunity. “The more people see and feel
for themselves the adventure and discoveries that
await us under the sea, the better chance all of
the ocean’s diverse life systems will have
for long-term survival,” stated MacGillivray.
“The ocean is not only a source of great pleasure,
it is also the source of all life. The excitement
created by OCEANFEST 2003 is a great way to raise
awareness that this vital ecosystem is filled with
wonders, but also fragile, and that everyone can
help protect it for future generations.”
MacGillivray continued, “With this film festival,
audiences will get a chance to take part in some
of the most exciting things I’ve ever done:
swim with dolphins, dive into the eye-popping colors
of a coral reef and most of all, experience the
exhilaration of discovering the unknown. I hope
OCEANFEST will capture the imaginations of many.”
Each
of the movies chosen for the film festival highlights
a different, yet equally revelatory, view of the
ocean and its life forms, all with 7 story-high,
larger than life images that stimulate the senses
to create a you-are-there experience. The films
and their themes are:
CORAL
REEF ADVENTURE: Due in Los Angeles-area
theatres in January, Coral Reef Adventure
will be seen in a special engagement run at OCEANFEST
2003. Four years in the making, the film follows
the inspirational personal quest of filmmakers Howard
and Michele Hall to document the imperiled coral
reefs of the Pacific and the worldwide challenge
to save them. In vivid detail, this all-new deep-sea
adventure straight from director, producer and reef
lover Greg MacGillivray’s heart, reveals the
vast array of curious creatures that inhabit the
reefs; introduces the everyday heroes fighting to
save the reefs; and teams up with the scientists
exploring the reefs for potent new medical cures
and never-before-seen species that are adding to
what we know about life on earth. Using groundbreaking
techniques, the film plunges to daring new depths,
taking the IMAX camera well below 350 feet. Bringing
back images from an undersea realm where sharks
circle, water pressure can burst machinery and humans
are without oxygen, Coral Reef Adventure
is not only one of the most technically advanced
underwater films ever made, it is also a rare portrait
of the demanding and daring process by which movies
about life in the ocean are made at all. Among the
highlights of the journey are stunning images of
the Great Barrier Reef, the largest living thing
on the planet; the first ever footage of huge schools
of sharks deep off the coast of Rangiroa; the discovery
of an entirely new fish species 370 feet below the
ocean off Fiji; and scenes of conservationist Jean-Michel
Cousteau passing on his passion for coral reefs
to a new generation. Narrated by Liam Neeson, Coral
Reef Adventure features songs written and recorded
by Crosby, Stills & Nash.
VOLCANOES
OF THE DEEP SEA: To be seen in IMAX theatres
this fall, Volcanoes of the Deep
submerges audiences into a little-explored dimension
of our planet: the mysterious hydrothermal vents
on the 46,000-mile long mid-ocean ridge. The film
tracks a team of scientists as they dive in the
submersible Alvin to depths below 8,000 feet, where
the temperature can reach 400 degrees Celsius, to
capture footage of deep-sea fauna and phenomena
from the hidden universe below. As the dive unfolds,
the scientists discover strange communities of organisms,
shipwreck gardens, bioluminescent creatures and
awesome giant predators. An astounding 97% of the
earth’s Biosphere is located here, in the
dark regions of the ocean that humans have just
begun to penetrate and explore, and discoveries
from these deep portions of the ocean may even hold
key answers to questions about the emergence of
life on earth. Volcanoes of the Deep
is the first large-format film to explore these
ultra-deep underwater realms with state-of-the-art
lighting producing true high fidelity images. The
result is a chance to enter a world of towering
black smoker chimneys, of giant tubeworms and other
sulfur-loving creatures captured in unprecedented
clarity.
DOLPHINS:
One of MacGillivray Freeman Film’s most popular
and acclaimed features, the Academy Award-nominated
Dolphins returns to the
giant IMAX screen at OCEANFEST 2003. From the dazzling
coral reefs of the Bahamas to the wind-swept seas
of Patagonia, Dolphins
takes audiences under the water’s surface
to experience some of the most graceful and extraordinary
creatures on earth in a whole new way. While few
people will ever have the chance to encounter a
dolphin in the wild, in this film, viewers can romp
with inquisitive Atlantic spotted dolphins, fly
through the air with acrobatic dusky dolphins, and
swim the waves with the familiar bottlenose dolphin
of Flipper fame. The film follows young marine biologist,
Dr. Kathleen Dudzinski, and her two colleagues as
they research the astounding communication skills
of wild dolphins with innovative scientific methods
and intriguing technology. Dolphins
also explores the truth behind the famed dolphin-human
bond, revealing the remarkable relationship between
JoJo, a rare lone dolphin in the Turks & Caicos
Islands, and his friend, naturalist Dean Bernal.
Dean and JoJo have saved each other's lives on more
than one occasion, and their stirring story speaks
to both the beauty and mystery of inter-species
communication. Narrated by Pierce Brosnan, Dolphins
is set to the music of Grammy Award-winning pop
artist Sting.
THE LIVING SEA: MacGillivray Freeman
Films received another Academy Award nomination
for this underwater fantasia that evokes the majesty,
wonder and sheer significance of the ocean to life
on earth. Filmed in locations around the world,
The Living Sea explores
the currents, tides and water cycles that link all
the waters of the world into one sea. The film not
only reveals stunning, candy-colored landscapes
and imagination-defying creatures, but the complex
relationship between human beings and this major
force of nature. Audiences journey to the Pacific
island of Palau, considered one of the “Seven
Underwater Wonders of the World” and home
to giant clam farms and the mysterious Jellyfish
Lake, where islanders have a fascinating, spiritual
view of their coastal waters. Then, they truly feel
the power of the ocean as they surf thundering waves
in Hawaii and ride in a Coast Guard Rescue Boat
through the rough surf at Cape Disappointment. Other
stops include a face-to-face encounter with humpback
whales in the open ocean, an unprecedented view
of tidal currents in Canada’s Bay of Fundy,
and a descent to 3,000 feet to visit strange creatures
who inhabit a realm sunlight never penetrates and
humans almost never get a chance to see. Narrated
by actress Meryl Streep, The Living
Sea is set to a Caribbean-inspired
score by Sting.
OCEANFEST
2003 is not only a place where people of all ages
can take part in oceanic adventures and marine science
exploration, it’s also a bargain for families.
Ticket prices for the California Science Center’s
IMAX theatre are less than a regular Hollywood film,
ranging from $4.50 to $7.50, with additional discounts
offered for multiple shows and free popcorn to the
first 200 kids that arrive wearing a snorkel and
mask. For more details on tickets please call (213)
744-7400.
Film
Schedule: October 3 through October 13, 2003
Volcanoes of the Deep Sea
–10:30 a.m., and 2:30 p.m.
Coral Reef Adventure –
11:30 a.m., 1:30 p.m., and 3:30 p.m.
The Living Sea - 12:30
p.m., and (5:30 p.m. Sat. & Sun. only)
Dolphins - 4:30 p.m.
California
Science Center, located at 700 State Drive in Exposition
Park, Los Angeles, is open daily from 10 a.m. to
5 p.m., except Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s
Day. Admission to the exhibitions is free. For recorded
information on IMAX show times, phone (213) 744-7400.
For advance ticket purchases, group rates, or to
make reservations for any visiting group of 15 or
more (required), call (213) 744-2019. Parking is
available in the guest lot at Figueroa and 39th
Street for $6 per car. Both the Science Center and
IMAX Theater are wheelchair accessible. For general
information, phone (323) SCIENCE or visit our web
site at www.californiasciencecenter.org.
Editors
Note: Images available at www.californiasciencecenter.org
in the Media Room.
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