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BOSTON – The world’s largest living wonder is coming to the giant screen when the new documentary Great Barrier Reef opens at the Museum of Science this week. Narrated by acclaimed Australian actor Eric Bana, the film celebrates one of the planet’s most beautiful and bio-diverse eco-systems and introduces us to the “citizen science” movement where volunteers help researchers gain a more comprehensive understanding of the natural world. Moviegoers will be inspired to find ways they, too, can help protect the natural environment, around the world and right in their own backyards.
“Great Barrier Reef is an epic adventure into an incredibly vibrant, living world where we tell the story of the reef from the perspective of people who have an intricately close relationship to it,” said film director Stephen Amezdroz. “We follow researchers and volunteers who work and study on the reef and who are leading the efforts to ensure the Great Barrier Reef has a healthy future. We hope the film inspires people to get out and explore nature and become engaged in conservation efforts no matter where they live.”
Great Barrier Reef follows young underwater photographer and reef native Jemma Craig on an expedition to document the work underway by researchers and citizen scientists to better understand and protect the reef and its diverse inhabitants. Viewers visit the Great Barrier Reef’s first sustainable eco-resort on Lady Elliot Island—where Peter Gash has rehabilitated the remote cay from devastation caused by mining in the late 1800s—and the Fitzroy Island Turtle Rehabilitation Center where dedicated volunteers nurse injured sea turtles back to health. The film follows the cutting-edge coral husbandry research being conducted at the Australian Institute for Marine Science—where researchers study the impact of long term environmental changes and develop hardier corals that have a better chance of survival—and meet citizen scientists who are helping track the reef’s overall health.
“Getting to know nature by being there is the first step towards wanting to take care of it,” says Jemma Craig. “We want to inspire kids to think ‘I can have a positive effect on the world.’”
“We are excited to be hosting the New England premier of the breathtaking new IMAX Film, Great Barrier Reef,” says Robin Doty, Manager of the Mugar OMNI Theater at the Museum of Science. “This extraordinary film, when coupled with the many other programs, exhibits and activities here at the Museum of Science, gives visitors the chance to explore every frontier —from the vastness of outer space to the dark depths of the ocean— and everything in between, all under one roof.”
With stunning images shot exclusively for the giant screen, Great Barrier Reef also gives visitors an up-close view of the fascinating creatures that live on the reef. Audiences will enjoy playful encounters with Dwarf Minke whales, thousands of migrating green sea turtles and their hatchlings, a Maori Wrasse named Wally whose epic photo-bombing skills have made him a local legend, a male seahorse giving birth and fluorescent corals whose kaleidoscopic colors are especially vivid when viewed at night.
“Nature has the power to bring us together—and seeing it in an immersive, giant screen experience makes it seem even bigger than life,” says film producer Matt Downey. “Everyone is connected to the reef in some way, and we want people to leave the theatre feeling inspired to get involved in conservation and be part of the solution.”
Great Barrier Reef is a December Media film produced in association with Slattery Family Trust, Biopixel, Soundfirm, Film Victoria, and Screen Queensland, and is distributed by MacGillivray Freeman Films. This is the fourth giant screen film from December Media following its trio of giant screen films that explore the origin and evolution of planets, Hidden Universe, The Search of Life In Space, and The Story of Earth. Great Barrier Reef is executive produced by Emmy®-award-winning producer Tony Wright and Stuart Menzies, produced by Matt Downey and directed by Stephen Amezdroz. The film features a musical score by Dale Cornelius.
Great Barrier Reef is family-friendly and has a running time of 40 minutes.
The Mugar Omni Theatre is located at the Museum of Science, 1 Science Park Boston. For more information on tickets and show times please visit http://www.mos.org or call 617-723-2500.
About December Media
December Media is one of Australia’s most experienced film and documentary producers. Based in Melbourne, the production company has more than 20 years of experience producing drama, documentary, educational, and award-winning live action and animated children’s drama for the screen. December Media brings a wealth of development, financing, production and co-production experience as well as having extensive network, distribution and financing relationships across the globe.
About the Museum of Science, Boston: One of the world's largest science centers and New England's most attended cultural institution, the Museum introduces more than 1.3 million visitors a year to STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) through the world-class hands-on exhibits, programs and pre-K-12 curricula of its William and Charlotte Bloomberg Science Education Center. An extraordinary variety of learning experiences span the Hall of Human Life, Thomson Theater of Electricity, Charles Hayden Planetarium, Mugar Omni Theater, Gordon Current Science & Technology Center, 4-D Theater, and Butterfly Garden. The Science Behind Pixar, created with Pixar Animation Studios, is touring internationally. The Museum's National Center for Technological Literacy® has transformed STEM education nationally and internationally through advocacy, standards and assessment reforms, teacher professional development, and curriculum development. The Museum’s pre-K-12 curricula, including its award-winning Engineering is Elementary®, have reached an estimated 15 million students and 165,000 educators. Visit: http://www.mos.org.
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