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arch 9, 2023—Cosmic Picture Distribution has been awarded a $3 million grant by the National Science Foundation (NSF) for its upcoming project, Einstein’s Incredible Universe, a major media and outreach program designed to catalyze interest in space science and spark scientific curiosity in learners worldwide.
February 13, 2023 — The new space adventure, Little Major Tom: Into the Unknown, will premiere at Experimenta, located in Heilbronn, Germany, on Thursday, April 27, 2023. The world premiere event will include a live performance by Peter Schilling and his band, and Little Major Tom: Into the Unknown will also premiere at planetariums and fulldome theaters in Germany and around the world on April 27. Dr. Peter Popp, of both Softmachine and Reef Distribution, and musician Peter Schilling, singer of the international hit song “Major Tom (Coming Home),” teamed up to create Little Major Tom: Into the Unknown exclusively for fulldome theaters.
February 7, 2023—The Giant Screen Cinema Association (GSCA) is pleased to announce its 2023 International Conference locations. The conference will begin September 18 in Cincinnati, Ohio, at the Cincinnati Museum Center and The Robert D. Lindner Family OMNIMAX®. All delegates are invited to join us in Cincinnati and see giant screen innovations and films on the dome screen. Chartered buses will depart Cincinnati the evening of September 18 for Indianapolis, where the conference will continue September 19-21, 2023, at the IMAX Theater in the Indiana State Museum.
February 7, 2023—Canadian media company Sinking Ship Entertainment (SSE) has announced that their award-winning movie Dino Dana The Movie is now available in 3D for the giant screen market. The movie’s 25-minute version, created specifically for museums and science centers, has been converted to 3D in partnership with its China agent ST Giant Films/NZPR Group Ltd.—one of the main giant-screen-format film distributors in China.
January 26, 2023—Michelle Duncan has joined Flying Fish Exhibits as Lead Exhibition Manager. Prior to joining Flying Fish Exhibits, Michelle was at The Tech Interactive in San Jose from 2005-2020, in roles from console operator to IMAX Theater Operations Director, and she spent three years as Operations Manager for Merlin Entertainments from 2020-2023, opening the new Legoland Discovery Center Bay Area.
January 25, 2023—We regret to have to share the news that John Jacobsen died at his home in Marblehead, Massachusetts, on January 12, with his wife, Jeanie Stahl, by his side. John founded White Oak Associates, which led strategic planning initiatives for more than 100 museums. His museum career began in 1985 as Associate Director of the Boston Museum of Science, where, under the leadership of Dr. Roger Nichols, he executive produced the Museum’s $24 million Hall Wing and Mugar Omni Theater and oversaw the making of the popular IMAX short film New England Time Capsule. John and Jeanie later co-executive produced the IMAX film The Living Sea produced by MacGillivray Freeman Films.
January 17, 2023—MacGillivray Freeman Films is pleased to announce it has entered into a distribution deal with Museum Media to represent the company’s library of giant screen educational films in museum institutions and commercial venues across Europe. The agreement comes as MFF is looking to expand the market for its educational titles beyond traditional giant screen cinemas. Museum Media is led by Berend Reijnhoudt, who served as president of the giant screen theatre Omniversum in The Hague for two decades.
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anuary 12, 2023—It is with great sadness we share the news that Kathleen Kempf, wife of Don Kempf (Giant Screen Films/D3D Cinema), passed away on December 14 at the age of 55 after a four-year battle with breast cancer. Kathy was loving and devoted mother of Jack, Tommy, and Hank Kempf. She was also CFO at Giant Screen Films/D3D Cinema. Kathy attended a number of GSCA conferences before Jack, Tommy, and Hank were born and participated on the GSCA study trip to China in 2008.
January 12, 2023—Cosm, previously a lead investor in the computer vision SaaS firm C360, has just acquired the company outright to complement its own immersive and experiential technology. Pittsburgh-based C360 is the developer of PylonCam, an innovative video angle deployed during NFL and college broadcasts on ESPN, Fox Sports, NBC and CBS. The acquisition is expected to enhance Cosm’s D2C and VR offerings, which gained notoriety at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing.
January 5, 2023—The Fort Worth Museum of Science and History Omni Theater will reopen with a Cosm giant LED screen. The theater has been closed since March 2020. The $20.3 million project also includes an extensive renovation of the theater lobby. The museum hopes to begin construction in early 2023.