‘CORAL REEF’ FILM ‘BEST OF FESTIVAL’ WINNER

LOS ANGELES, CA. — “Coral Reef Adventure,” an IMAX film produced by MacGillivray Freeman Films, Laguna Beach, has received the Best of Festival (Grand Prix) award June 12 from The U.S. International Film And Video Festival.

The production follows internationally known deep sea divers Howard and Michele Hall of San Diego as they document the health of coral reefs of the South Pacific. Michele Hall, who also was location manager for the production, accepted the award during ceremonies at The Directors Guild of America in Hollywood.

The film was directed by Greg MacGillivray and produced by MacGillivray and Alec Lorimore and written by Stephen Judson, Osha Gray Davidson and Jack Stephens. The film is narrated by Liam Neeson and features songs written and recorded by Crosby, Stills & Nash.

MacGillivray Freeman has produced 30 giant screen films since 1976, including the popular “Everest” and “To Fly” and the Academy Award-nominated documentaries “Dophins” and “The Living Sea.”

“Coral Reef Adventure” was produced with funding from the National Science Foundation and MacGillivray Freeman Films in association with the Museum of Science, Boston, National Wildlife Federation, Lowell, Blake & Associates and Museum Film Network.

The film is now playing at 30 IMAX theaters throughout the United States and worldwide.

“Coral Reef Adventure” was selected by members of the International Quorum of Motion Picture Producers (IQ) from among seven nominees for Best of Festival.

Other productions nominated were: “Freedom: A History of US Promo,” by Thirteen/WNET, New York City; “Peter Jennings Reporting: I Have a Dream” by ABC News/P.J. Productions, New York; “Germany and the Secret Genocide” by Armenian Film Foundation, Thousand Oaks, Calif.; “Eye on Kenya: The Masai, Last of the Conservationists” by EMS Films, The Netherlands; “Empire of the Eye: The Magic of Illusion” by the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., and “Faces of Life” by Gehrisch & Krack Filmproduktions AG., Dusseldorf, Germany.

The productions also won First Place Gold Camera awards.

More than 1,500 entries were received from 27 countries. Sixty-five Gold Camera awards and 82 Silver Screen awards were given.

A full listing of 2004 festival winners is available at www.filmfestawards.com.

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