A
GIANT SCREEN ADVENTURE THROUGH WILD AFRICA IN SEARCH OF
THE MOST DANGEROUS AND SPECTACULAR ANIMALS IN SOUTH AFRICA
New
IMAX film opens June 24, 2005 at the California Science Center
Los Angeles—Wild
Safari 3D: A South African Adventure, the ultimate real-life
adventure, transports viewers to the most spectacular wildlife
reserves to search for the “Big Five”—five of the most dangerous
and elusive animals in Africa. With groundbreaking 3D technology,
the audience feels as if they are in the passenger seat of an
open-air safari vehicle, traveling through rough terrain to get
face-to-face with towering elephants and roaring lions. Wild
Safari 3D opens at the California Science Center IMAX
Theater on June 24, 2005.
Wild Safari 3D, is the first large format film
to capture wildlife in action with stereoscopic photography.
Innovative camera techniques were used to ensure that viewing
this film is the closest experience to actually being on safari.
Never before has wildlife been seen with such realism on the
giant screen.
From the abundant grasslands of Addo/Shamwari to the savannahs
of the Kalahari, viewers of Wild Safari 3D make
a three thousand mile journey on a quest for the Big Five,
a group that includes the elephant, the Cape buffalo, the rhino,
the leopard and the lion. The term originates from the hunting
days of the 19th century, before the protection of wildlife
reserves. “The Big Five were the most fearsome animals to hunt,” says
Director Ben Stassen. “When tourists in the present day go
to South Africa, the challenge is to see all the animals on
one trip.” Tour guide Liesl Eichenberger, a young South African
zoologist and field guide, conducts the game drive for viewers
from an open vehicle and presents essential information about
the different animals as if the audience is actually in the
backseat. Traveling to six National Parks in South Africa,
she focuses on finding one of the Big Five animals for each
game reserve visited. Highlights include a group of white rhinos,
once so rare there were less than one hundred in the world,
as well as a playful baby elephant clinging to the lofty legs
of its mother.
Wild Safari 3D gives viewers a new appreciation
for the beauty and grace of creatures that have only recently
been brought back from the brink of extinction. “By showing
these majestic animals in their wild habitat we want people
to see that they are real treasures worth saving”, says Stassen.
Cinematic immersion in the natural habitats of these wild animals
demonstrates the importance of the many conservation efforts
being made today.
Film Schedule:
June 24 to September 1, 2005
Wild Safari 3D: A South African Adventure at 10:30am,
12:30pm, 2:30pm, & 4:30pm
Roar: Lions of the Kalahari at 1:30pm (additional show
at 5:30pm Sat/Sun only)
Forces of Nature at 11:30am & 3:30 pm
California
Science Center is located at 700 State Drive-Exposition
Park, Los Angeles, CA 90037. Open daily from 10 a.m. to
5 p.m., except Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s
Day. Admission to the exhibits is free. IMAX Theater tickets
range from $4.50 to $7.50. Both the Science Center and
IMAX Theater are wheelchair accessible. Visitors can enter
the parking lot at 39th and Figueroa Street. Parking is
$6. For general information, phone (323) SCIENCE or visit
our web site at www.californiasciencecenter.org.
