The GSCA 2015 Achievement Awards were presented the evening of September 9 at the Parc 55 Hilton in San Francisco during the GSCA 2015 International Conference and Trade Show. IMAX Corporation sponsored the evening and also presented its Maximum Image Awards during the ceremony. Congratulations to the following award recipients.

Photos by James Hyder for GSCA. © 2015 by Cinergetics, LLC. Thanks to John Lewis Productions, Austin, TX, for producing the video featuring all of the films submitted for consideration. Click here to view the video.

GSCA Awards

Best Film, Short Subject
Best Film for Lifelong Learning
Best Cinematography

Humpback Whales

Pictured here are Shauna Badheka, Barbara MacGillivray, Chip Bartlett, Lori Rick, Greg MacGillivray, Shaun MacGillivray, Bob Harman, Dona Harman, Meghan MacGillivray Weil, and Mary Jane Dodge. Humpback Whales is produced and distributed by MacGillivray Freeman Films. Cinematography by Greg MacGillivray, Brad Ohlund, Howard Hall, and Ron Goodman.

Best Original Score

Living in the Age of Airplanes

Living in the Age of Airplanes is produced and directed by Brian J. Terwilliger and distributed by National Geographic Studios. Music composed by James Horner. Pictured here are National Geographic Studios' Melia Manter, John Wickstrom, Antonietta Monteleone, Nikki Lowry, Jeff Hasler, and Melissa Rogers.

Best Sound Design

Tiny Giants

Best Visual Effects

Walking with Dinosaurs: Prehistoric Planet

Pictured here is Neil Nightingale, creative director at BBC Earth Productions. Tiny Giants is produced by BBC Earth, distributed by BBC Earth and and Screen Films. Sound design by Kate Hopkins and Tim Owens. Walking with Dinosaurs: Prehistoric Planet is produced by BBC Earth in association with Evergreen Studios; distributed by BBC Earth, Reliance Entertainment, and Giant Screen Films. Visual effects by Will Reichelt, Marco Marenghi, and Emmanuel Blasset.

Best Film, Feature Length

Interstellar: The IMAX Experience

Pictured here is Phil Groves, SVP IMAX and EVP Global Distribution. Interstellar is produced by Emma Thomas, Christopher Nolan and Lynda Obst; directed by Christopher Nolan; and distributed by Paramount Pictures.

Best Film Launch by a Theater

Telus World of Science-Edmonton IMAX Theatre,
Journey to the South Pacific 3D

Pictured here is Steve Baker, Chief Operating Officer at Telus World of Science-Edmonton. The marketing team responsible for the campaign included Mike Steger, Donalda Pelton, Ryan Friele, and Christina Weichel.

Best Marketing Campaign by a Distributor

MacGillivray Freeman Films,
Humpback Whales

Pictured here from MacGillivray Freeman Films' marketing and distribution teams are Bob Harman, Shauna Badheka, Lori Rick, Mary Jane Dodge, Dona Harman, and Chip Bartlett.

Best Educational Program

Omniversum, The Netherlands,
D-Day: Normandy 1944

Pictured here are (middle) Alexandra van der Zee from Omniversum with D-Day: Normandy 1944 Producer Catherine Vuong and Director Pascal Vuong. Omniversum Education team includes Ingrid de Groot, Jennifer de Haas, Marina Rijerkerk, and Jessica van der Pluijm

Big Idea Award (tie)

The Big Idea Award is given for the most original and effective idea of a single marketing campaign. Marketing campaigns submitted in all categories are considered for this award.

National Geographic Studios,
Living in the Age of Airplanes

National Geographic Studios was given this award for its outreach to the aviation community to promote the film Living in the Age of Airplanes. Pictured here are Nikki Lowry and Melia Manter. The marketing responsible for the campaign included Nikki Lowry, Aileen Robertson, Cory Berg, Natalie Masciale, and Brian Terwilliger.

Challenger Learning Center of Tallahassee #WhereAreTheWhales Social Media Campaign

Challenger Learning Center was awarded the Big Idea for rallying to turn a negative into a positive. When Humpback Whales artwork placed on the parking garage elevator doors was stolen, the team used it as an opportunity to engage the community with a #WhereAreTheWhales social media campaign. Pictured here are Samantha Reaves, Emily Brown, and Michelle Personette. Mary Adkins was also part of the marketing team.

Big Shoe Award

The Big Shoe award recipients are selected by GSCA staff to recognize exemplary volunteers who are not GSCA board members.

Christian Fry, Pretend Entertainment

Pictured here are GSCA Executive Director Tammy Barrett, Christian Fry of Pretend Entertainment, and GSCA Communications and Membership Director Kelly Germain. Christian has been instrumental in engaging new filmmakers in the association by helping organize the first-ever GSCA Filmmaker Symposium in 2015 and leading the group that developed the Giant Screen Production and Postproduction Workflow.

Mary Nucci, Rutgers University

Pictured here are GSCA Executive Director Tammy Barrett, Mary Nucci, and GSCA Communications and Membership Director Kelly Germain. Mary has been instrumental in keeping education and lifelong learning at the forefront of GSCA's activities. She's chaired the GSCA Lifelong Learning Committee and Research Task Force, helped organize the GSCA LIfelong Learning Symposium, assisted GSCA in forging a partnership with ASTC, has lead numerous research projects about the giant screen format, and volunteers for the GSCA event registration desk.

IMAX Maximum Image Awards

Hall of Fame Award (tie)

The IMAX Hall of Fame Award goes to a giant screen film that is at least 10 years old and is selected by vote of the IMAX theater network.

Destiny in Space

Pictured here is Toni Myers, who wrote and edited Destiny in Space. The film was produced by the Smithsonian Institution's National Air and Space Museum and the Lockheed Martin Corporation in cooperation with the National Aeronautics Space Administration. It is distributed by IMAX Corporation.

Pulse: a STOMP Odyssey

Pictured here are the film's producer Steve Kempf, sound designer Brian Eimer, directors/composers Steve McNicholas and Luke Cresswell, and producer Don Kempf. Pulse: a STOMP Odyssey is produced by Giant Screen Films, James D. Stern Productions, Leve Productions, and Yes/No Productions. It is distributed by Giant Screen Films.