MacGillivray Freeman Films
Encyclopedia
MacGillivray Freeman Films is an American
film studio based in Laguna Beach, California
and founded in the mid 1960s by Greg MacGillivray
and Jim Freeman. Most well known for its IMAX
films, the studio has produced and distributed 35 IMAX films since 1974. Its first IMAX film To Fly!
, produced by MacGillivary Freeman for the Smithsonian Institution
National Air and Space Museum
, was later selected by the Library of Congress
for inclusion in the National Film Registry
. Two of its films, Dolphins (2000) and The Living Sea (1995), were nominated for Academy Awards. Its film Everest (1998) was the first IMAX film to appear on Variety's Top 10 Box Office chart for North America and is currently the highest grossing IMAX film in history. Other works from the company are routinely nominated for and win awards from the Giant Screen Theatre Association.
Prior to producing IMAX films, the company had success producing surfing documentaries, TV commercials and filming for Hollywood feature films. Its 1972 film Five Summer Stories
is still considered a surfing
classic. In 1976, it produced Magic Rolling Board, a 10-minute documentary about skateboarding
. The company has directed and photographed for Warner Brothers, Twentieth Century Fox, Paramount and Stanley Kubrick. The company was honored for its aerial cinematography when Jonathan Livingston Seagull was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Photography in 1973 and when The Towering Inferno received the Academy Award for Best Photography in 1974.
Founding partner Jim Freeman was killed in a helicopter crash in 1976, two days before the release of To Fly!.
MacGillivray has produced and directed more than 30 IMAX films and shot over 2 million feet of 70 mm film—the most in cinema history. He has also developed three cameras that work with the format: a high-speed (slow-motion) model, the industry’s first lightweight model and the “all-weather” camera he used while filming on Mt. Everest.
In 2004, Greg MacGillivray and his wife Barbara founded the non-profit MacGillivray Freeman Films Educational Foundation to contribute to the conservation of the world's natural and cultural heritage through giant screen films and companion educational programming.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
film studio based in Laguna Beach, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
and founded in the mid 1960s by Greg MacGillivray
Greg MacGillivray
Greg MacGillivray is an American film director and cinematographer. MacGillivray was first nominated for an Academy Award in 1995 for directing The Living Sea , and was nominated in the same category again for Dolphins in 2000.He has initiated the development of three cameras for the IMAX format...
and Jim Freeman. Most well known for its IMAX
IMAX
IMAX is a motion picture film format and a set of proprietary cinema projection standards created by the Canadian company IMAX Corporation. IMAX has the capacity to record and display images of far greater size and resolution than conventional film systems...
films, the studio has produced and distributed 35 IMAX films since 1974. Its first IMAX film To Fly!
To Fly!
To Fly! is a documentary film shot in the IMAX format. It follows the history of flight, from the first hot air balloons in the 19th century to 20th century manned space missions. It was created for performance at the National Air and Space Museum's IMAX Theater in Washington, D.C.It was written...
, produced by MacGillivary Freeman for the Smithsonian Institution
Smithsonian Institution
The Smithsonian Institution is an educational and research institute and associated museum complex, administered and funded by the government of the United States and by funds from its endowment, contributions, and profits from its retail operations, concessions, licensing activities, and magazines...
National Air and Space Museum
National Air and Space Museum
The National Air and Space Museum of the Smithsonian Institution holds the largest collection of historic aircraft and spacecraft in the world. It was established in 1976. Located in Washington, D.C., United States, it is a center for research into the history and science of aviation and...
, was later selected by the Library of Congress
Library of Congress
The Library of Congress is the research library of the United States Congress, de facto national library of the United States, and the oldest federal cultural institution in the United States. Located in three buildings in Washington, D.C., it is the largest library in the world by shelf space and...
for inclusion in the National Film Registry
National Film Registry
The National Film Registry is the United States National Film Preservation Board's selection of films for preservation in the Library of Congress. The Board, established by the National Film Preservation Act of 1988, was reauthorized by acts of Congress in 1992, 1996, 2005, and again in October 2008...
. Two of its films, Dolphins (2000) and The Living Sea (1995), were nominated for Academy Awards. Its film Everest (1998) was the first IMAX film to appear on Variety's Top 10 Box Office chart for North America and is currently the highest grossing IMAX film in history. Other works from the company are routinely nominated for and win awards from the Giant Screen Theatre Association.
Prior to producing IMAX films, the company had success producing surfing documentaries, TV commercials and filming for Hollywood feature films. Its 1972 film Five Summer Stories
Five Summer Stories
Five Summer Stories is a surfing film by Jim Freeman and Greg MacGillivray starring David Nuuhiwa, Eddie Aikau, Gerry Lopez, and Sam Hawk. It was released in 1972. The soundtrack is by Honk....
is still considered a surfing
Surfing
Surfing' is a surface water sport in which the surfer rides a surfboard on the crest and face of a wave which is carrying the surfer towards the shore...
classic. In 1976, it produced Magic Rolling Board, a 10-minute documentary about skateboarding
Skateboarding
Skateboarding is an action sport which involves riding and performing tricks using a skateboard.Skateboarding can be a recreational activity, an art form, a job, or a method of transportation. Skateboarding has been shaped and influenced by many skateboarders throughout the years. A 2002 report...
. The company has directed and photographed for Warner Brothers, Twentieth Century Fox, Paramount and Stanley Kubrick. The company was honored for its aerial cinematography when Jonathan Livingston Seagull was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Photography in 1973 and when The Towering Inferno received the Academy Award for Best Photography in 1974.
Founding partner Jim Freeman was killed in a helicopter crash in 1976, two days before the release of To Fly!.
MacGillivray has produced and directed more than 30 IMAX films and shot over 2 million feet of 70 mm film—the most in cinema history. He has also developed three cameras that work with the format: a high-speed (slow-motion) model, the industry’s first lightweight model and the “all-weather” camera he used while filming on Mt. Everest.
In 2004, Greg MacGillivray and his wife Barbara founded the non-profit MacGillivray Freeman Films Educational Foundation to contribute to the conservation of the world's natural and cultural heritage through giant screen films and companion educational programming.