January 12, 2012—IMAX Corporation and Cinemas Guzzo have announced a joint revenue sharing agreement to install four digital IMAX® theater systems throughout the greater Montreal area in Quebec. This agreement brings the total number of IMAX theaters open or contracted to open in Canada to 30.

January 9, 2012—D3D Cinema (D3D) is pleased to announce the hiring of museum industry veteran Jolie Kass as Director of Theater Sales and Business Development. Kass comes to D3D by way of Arts and Exhibitions International, where she directed the operations of AEI’s blockbuster exhibitions, most notably Tutankhamen and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs. In this role, she collaborated closely with museum colleagues around the world to achieve record-breaking attendance. Additionally, Jolie was actively involved in AEI’s pioneering of the first touring D3D exhibition theaters, which ran D3D’s film Egypt 3D: Secrets of the Mummies as the official companion film to AEI’s Tut and Cleopatra exhibits. 

January 4, 2012—Just as the crippled Russian satellite, Phobos-Grunt, threatens to fall from our sky, the film Space Junk 3D will open in IMAX® and other giant screen theaters in both 2D and 3D, beginning January 13th. The movie is the first to explore the exponentially expanding ring of manmade debris that threatens the safety of our planet's orbits.

December 30, 2011—The Canadian Intellectual Property Office has issued a Notice of Allowance for CineXtract’s “Method for Recomposing Large Format Media” patent, also known as “Large Format Negative Repurposing (LFNR)." The LFNR process offers filmmakers a unique means to shoot large format film/media and then re-arrange, reframe and repurpose scenes during postproduction for numerous motion picture distribution formats.

December 29, 2011 (Lake Anna, VA)—The White Oak Institute and the GSCA announce GSCA’s stewardship of the NSF-funded Digital Immersive Giant Screen Specifications (DIGSS 1.0). By a unanimous Board vote on September 22, 2011, the GSCA accepted the role of stewardship of DIGSS 1.0 with a goal of further developing the recommendations, announced Tammy Thurmon, Executive Director of GSCA. John Jacobsen, principal investigator of the Digital Immersive Screen Colloquium for Unified Standards and Specifications (DISCUSS NSF-ISE 0946691) said, “GSCA’s stewardship will enable the refinement and administration of DIGSS 1.0+, its screen testing and its global buy-in.” 

December 29, 2011—Sincerest condolences to our friend and colleague Tammy Thurmon, GSCA’s executive director, and her family. Tammy’s mother, Gail Martin, died in a car accident on Friday, December 23. Her father, Bill Martin, was also in the accident and is expected to be released from the hospital next week. A Celebration of Life service for Gail Martin will be held on Saturday, January 7, at 3:00 pm at the Lake Anna Rescue Building, in Lake Anna, Virginia.



December 23, 2011 (Lake Anna, VA)—The Giant Screen Cinema Association (GSCA) 2012 board of directors has unanimously elected officers, executive and governance committee members, as well as committee chairs and co-chairs.

December 23, 2011—National Geographic Entertainment is undergoing reorganization, it was announced today by Tim Kelly.  National Geographic Cinema Ventures (NGCV) will continue as a division of National Geographic Society and will develop, produce, acquire and distribute large format, digital, speciality and 3D films under the leadership of NGCV president, Lisa Truitt. Mark Katz will also continue to report to Truitt as president of distribution. National Geographic Feature Films will see more comprehensive changes.

December 20, 2011—IMAX Corporation and Paramount Pictures today announced that Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol The IMAX Experience, earned approximately $14 million at the box office in IMAX® theateers worldwide during its opening weekend. Domestically, the film generated $10.5 million on 300 IMAX screens, for an IMAX per-screen average of $35,000. Internationally, it generated $3.4 million on 89 IMAX screens, for an IMAX per-screen average of $38,200.

December 19, 2011—IMAX Corporation and Bona Film Group, a leading film distributor in China, have announced that the 3D martial arts motion picture Flying Swords of Dragon Gate earned approximately $2.5 million at the box office in 59 digital IMAX® theaters across China during its opening weekend for a per-screen average of $42,400.