September 22, 2020—New York, NY—Cosmic Picture announced today that National Geographic Photographer Florian Schulz and Princess Daazhraii Johnson (Neet'saii Gwich'in) will narrate the upcoming documentary, The Arctic: Our Last Great Wilderness, set to release in IMAX® and giant screen theaters beginning Spring 2021. The Arctic: Our Last Great Wilderness is produced by Terra Mater Factual Studios, written and directed by veteran IMAX® producer Myles Connolly and the award-winning nature photographer and cinematographer Florian Schulz.

The official trailer was also debuted today offering the first glimpse at this special place in the far north of Alaska that few have truly seen until now.

“The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is a special place. It has been my life’s work to document this last great wilderness with the hope it will be preserved for future generations. There is no better venue to bring the wonders of the Arctic to life than on the giant screen,” said Florian Schulz.

“The urgency to protect the Arctic Refuge, to defend the sacred, has never been greater,” said Princess Daazhraii Johnson. “Lending my voice to this film is lending my spirit to this work which I care so deeply about. The film is filled with wonder and spirit and I feel humbled to do my small part in opening the public’s eyes to the beauty of these lands. When I watch the image of the Porcupine Caribou Herd, I also feel the spirit of my Ancestors. It’s a deeply emotional sight to behold and I’m grateful that a larger audience might realize why this place is worth protecting.”

The Arctic: Our Last Great Wilderness takes viewers to a place that is vast, wild, and magical – where one of earth’s greatest natural spectacles unfolds. Princess Daazhraii Johnson reveals the land that has sustained her people for untold generations. For the first time on the giant screen, experience a world that has evolved intact and untamed since the beginning of time. Journey with Florian Schulz on his five-year quest to film the elusive 200,000 strong Porcupine Caribou herd as it migrates to the Arctic Coastal Plain, one of the longest animal migrations on earth. Filled with intimate moments featuring polar bears and musk oxen, wolves, grizzlies, golden eagles and more, The Arctic: Our Last Great Wilderness is the first cinematic exploration of a world few have truly seen until now. Experience this special place worth protecting.

The 19.6 million acres of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge are full of life and history. The land is home to hundreds of species of plants, birds, mammals, and fish. It supports Indigenous cultures and has global ecological importance. This public land is at risk and a companion campaign supported by the Campion Advocacy Fund, a leading champion to preserve the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, will advance awareness of the threat and opportunities to protect this unique land.

The official trailer for The Arctic: Our Last Great Wilderness can be viewed at www.protectthearctic.org/arctic-national-wildlife-refuge-giant-screen-film and is now available for download for press at www.cosmicpicture.com/films/the-arctic/

Please visit www.ProtectTheArctic.org and follow @ProTheArctic to learn more about the film and the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

The Arctic: Our Last Great Wilderness opens in IMAX and giant screen theaters in 2D and 3D beginning Spring 2021.

About Princess Daazhraii Johnson
Co-Narrator Princess Daazhraii Johnson is Neets’aii Gwich’in and her family is from Arctic Village, Alaska. Johnson is the former Executive Director for the Gwich’in Steering Committee and is a founding member of the Fairbanks Climate Action Coalition. Johnson has been a member of the SAG-AFTRA Native American Committee since 2007, serves on the boards of NDN Collective and Native Movement. In 2015 Johnson was appointed by President Obama to serve on the Board of Trustees for the Institute of American Indian Arts. She is based in Alaska and is currently creative producer and writer on PBS Kids “Molly of Denali” a Peabody award-winning animated series produced by WGBH.

About Florian Schulz
Photographer | Filmmaker | Speaker
Co-Narrator Florian Schulz has dedicated his life to documenting the natural faces of our planet. Aiming his cameras at Earth’s last wilderness areas has led him to the farthest reaches of the globe. Using his talent for visual storytelling he hopes to inspire action to preserve Earth’s wild virtue. He is constantly striving to meet the next challenge, to embark upon the next adventure. Ultimately seeking to transport his viewers into nature, acting as an ambassador for the natural world.

Specializing in wildlife and conservation photojournalism, the quality of Florian’s work is reflected in the widespread recognition he has received. His photographs have been published in magazines such as National Geographic, BBC Wildlife, and GEO, and he has won numerous awards for his photography, including ‘Environmental Photographer of the Year’. But these prizes have never been his motivation. His tireless efforts to document and protect wilderness areas are fueled by an honest commitment to our environment and a love for the natural world.

Florian is a devout advocate for wildlife corridors, coining the phrase “freedom to roam” and founding the Freedom to Roam project. He aims to expand the new conservation movement for wildlife corridors, just like the creation of Yellowstone as the first national park – he envisions the establishment of national corridors as an idea to spread around the world.

See more of Florian’s work at www.florianschulz.org

About Cosmic Picture
Cosmic Picture was founded to produce and distribute the most compelling cinematic experiences possible to change people’s perception of the universe in ways never imagined. Cosmic Picture represents one of the industry’s largest libraries of top quality giant screen and fulldome films including the National Geographic library of documentaries. Past films include award-winning IMAX® and giant screen productions and transformative environmental documentaries with tremendous social impact including Superpower Dogs, Back from the Brink: Saved from Extinction, and Extreme Weather. To discover more visit www.cosmicpicture.com.

About Terra Mater Factual Studios
Terra Mater Factual Studios were founded January 1st, 2011 and are based in Vienna, Austria. The full-blown production unit is a subsidiary company of Red Bull and specializes in premium factual programming for TV, multimedia platforms and theatrical release TMFS’ diverse portfolio contains more than 250 hours, honored with approximately 300 international film awards, including several Panda Awards at Wildscreen Festival and Grand Teton Awards at the Jackson Wild Media Awards Wildlife Film Festival. The feature doc The Ivory Game about the illegal ivory trade was recognized on the Academy Award® Best Documentary Feature Shortlist in 2017. Sea of Shadows won the prestigious Audience Award at Sundance Festival 2019 and is positioned to be one of the most successful impact films to date, catalyzing action on a broad international political scale. Terra Mater Factual Studios continues to strengthen the integral part of its vision by producing films that show a unique and very fragile part of Mother Earth and help bring about change. With its own Terra Mater YouTube channel, the company inspires with high-quality educative videos to take responsibility for our planet - because #terramatters.

About the Campion Advocacy Fund
The Campion Advocacy Fund is a philanthropic and advocacy organization committed to protecting the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and other irreplaceable wild places across the western United States. Founded by Tom and Sonya Campion, the Fund is proud to support the creation of this film and the Protect The Arctic campaign. Visit ProtectTheArctic.org for more information.