on May 5th at the Ontario Science Centre
Wowed audiences the world over, reached US $30 million at the box office
TORONTO (April 25, 2006) – Bugs! A Rainforest Adventure, one of Canada’s most successful and highest grossing movies premieres at the OMNIMAX® Theatre at Ontario Science Centre in Toronto Friday, May 5, but don’t expect the stars to trip down the red carpet.
The 40 minute documentary narrated by the distinguished British actress Dame Judi Dench is an up-close look at the life of bugs and stars actual creepy-crawlies magnified up to 250,000 times on a giant IMAX screen. Bugs! A Rainforest Adventure is a giant-screen journey into the amazing universe of tiny rainforest creatures, created by Toronto-based Shaftesbury Films Inc. in partnership with the UK’s Principal Large Format. SK Films Inc. was established by Shaftesbury Films Inc. and Robert Kerr, the co-founder and retired CEO of Imax Corporation.
Bugs! A Rainforest Adventure focuses on the life-cycles of a pair of adversaries: the caterpillar, a constantly nibbling vegetarian whose soft body undergoes an astonishing metamorphosis into a beautiful butterfly, and the exoskeletal praying mantis, a carnivorous predator with an otherworldly triangular face. But there are astounding glimpses of other insects, too. Using an innovative optical system, filmmakers shot for six weeks in Borneo who rainforest alongside other the earth’s other rainforests cover two percent of the earth’s surface but contain most of its species. An abandoned shack served as the set for the insect actors, a controlled environment within the verdant setting and was recreated on a soundstage in London England when further scenes were required
Bugs! A Rainforest Adventure has won acclaim and audiences around the world. It is a 2004 recipient of a Panda Award, given by Wildscreen, widely viewed as the “Oscars®” of wildlife filmmaking.
It has also won Best Film by the Large Format Cinema Association, and multiple honours from the GSTA (Giant Screen Theater Association): Best Film for Learning, Best Cinematography and Special Achievement in Film (for the work of specialist photographer and systems designer Peter Parks). SK Films won the large format industry’s prestigious GSTA MAC Award for Best Marketing by a Distributor for its work on Bugs! A Rainforest Adventure.
In the two-and-a-half years since the initial release of the film, Bugs! has become a major success as it continues to roll out to the worldwide network of IMAX® and other large format theatres, recently hitting more than US$30 million at the box office worldwide. The movie is currently playing on 3 screens across Canada and in 31 cities around the world.
The tremendous success of Bugs! adds to Shaftesbury’s production and distribution momentum that includes the one-hour drama series ReGenesis, now in its second season on The Movie Network and Movie Central. ReGenesis is a key part of Shaftesbury’s recent slate of productions that includes among others, the television movies Murder 19C: The Detective Murdoch Mysteries for Bravo!, the International Emmy Award-winning live-action/animation series Dark Oracle for YTV, and the comedy series Life with Derek, the highest rated series ever to launch on Family Channel.
Bugs! is an SK release of a Principal Large Format film in association with Image Quest 3D, co-produced by the UK Film and TV Production Company Plc, and financed by The Film Consortium in association with Film Council. The film is presented by Terminix. Bugs! was produced by Phil Streather and Alexandra Ferguson of Principal Large Format (England) and Executive Produced by Jonathan Barker of SK Films. Simon Relph and UKFTV’s Peter Fudakowski also served as Executive Producers. Bugs! is directed by Michael Slee and Warwick Vardy is the Animal Wrangler. Shaftesbury is the worldwide distributor for the film through its large format division SK Films.
SK has become an industry leader in the production and distribution of large format films. Jonathan Barker serves as President of Shaftesbury Films and SK Films. Founded in 1988, Shaftesbury Films is a privately held company based in Toronto and has established a reputation as one of Canada’s leading producers of high quality films and television.
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Animal Wrangler Warwick Vardy will be in Toronto on Wednesday May 3rd and Thursday May 4th for interviews and demonstrations.
For further information, review copies and to arrange interviews with Warwick Vardy or Executive Producer Jonathan Barker please contact:
Sue Baldaro
Communication Manager
SK Films and Shaftesbury Films
(416) 363-1411 ext. 114
