SK Films’ “BLUE WHALES: RETURN OF THE GIANTS”, produced by Oceanic Films & HHMI Tangled Bank Studios Wins Big at 2024 GSCA Achievement Awards
Oceanic Films, HHMI Tangled Bank Studios and SK Films are proud to announce that “BLUE WHALES: RETURN OF THE GIANTS” has won five awards at the Giant Screen Cinema Association’s 2024 Annual Achievement Awards. Blue whales are the largest animals ever to have lived, bigger than any dinosaur, yet we know surprisingly little about them. The blockbuster IMAX/Giant Screen film, was made possible with funding from the National Science Foundation (NSF) and is narrated by Emmy®-nominated actor, Andy Serkis. The film was released in 2023 and audiences have been raving about it.
Awards won by BLUE WHALES:
- Best Film
- Best Cinematography
- Best Sound Design
- Best Original Score
- Best Marketing Campaign by a Distributor
“I’m so grateful to the GSCA for honouring Blue Whales” says Hugh Pearson, Director and Producer, Oceanic Films. “I’ve wanted to make a film about blue whales for a long time and to me best medium to tell their story is on the very biggest screen and with the best sound system. Blue whales are incredibly hard to film, so this production took a huge amount of experience, passion and hard work by our talented filmmaking team and dedicated scientists. We are all so thrilled to be recognized by the Giant Screen industry.”
Jared Lipworth, Head of HHMI Tangled Bank Studios, and an executive producer on the film says, “We are proud that this film has connected audiences around the world with these incredible animals and the dedicated scientists who study them. The recovery of blue whales from near extinction is an inspirational marine conservation story that shows how ecosystems and species can rebound when we give them a chance”.
Wendy MacKeigan, Executive Producer and CEO of SK Films who is distributing the film says, “the film is entertaining audiences of all ages and transforming our understanding of these iconic whales as we experience their spectacular feeding habits, their awesome long- distance communication, and their tender mother-calf bonds.”
The film is accompanied by an outreach campaign with educational materials produced by the California Science Center and Tangled Bank Studios with funding from the NSF. Activities include Whale Beats, an interactive game where you can create your own musical masterpiece using sounds from the natural world, and an immersive AR experience where users can manipulate life-size blue whales and “dive” alongside life-size blues (available now to download for free in the iOS App Store and on Google Play).
“BLUE WHALES: RETURN OF THE GIANTS” is now playing on Giant Screen and IMAX Theaters on worldwide.
Click here to watch the trailer and explore the interactive materials:
Oceanic Films
Oceanic Films specialize in making wildlife films at sea, telling dramatic and engaging stories from above and below the waves. We have a deep understanding of the oceans and passion for telling stories about marine wildlife and the many challenges facing the health of our seas today. Oceanic Films was established by Hugh Pearson, an EMMY and BAFTA award-winning director and producer; Hugh has a degree in Marine Biology and over two decades experience filming at sea.
About Tangled Bank Studios
HHMI Tangled Bank Studios is a mission-driven impact studio that seeks to shine a light on some of the most significant scientific challenges and breakthroughs of our time. Recent films include Blue Carbon, Every Little Thing, Wild Hope, Hunt for the Oldest DNA, Wilding, Blue Whales: Return of the Giants, and Oscar-nominated All That Breathes, the only film to win best documentary at both the Sundance and Cannes film festivals. Other notable films include Emmy Award-winners The Serengeti Rules and The Farthest – Voyager In Space; Emmy-nominated My Garden of a Thousand Bees, Battle to Beat Malaria, and Nature’s Fear Factor; and Peabody Award winner Inventing Tomorrow. To extend the reach and impact of each film, the studio undertakes educational and public outreach efforts in partnership with purpose-focused organizations. For more information, please visit WWW.TANGLEDBANKSTUDIOS.ORG.
SK Films
SK Films is an award-winning content provider and a global leader in the IMAX®/Giant Screen industry who works across various genres and platforms, including theatrical, television and digital media, with a special emphasis on creating high impact natural history and science related content.
SK is valued as one of the most accomplished and respected producers and distributors supplying 3D, 2D and Dome product to IMAX and other Giant Screen theaters worldwide, with a mission to entertain and inspire audiences and immerse them in the awe and wonder of the world we live in. For more information, please visit SKFilms.ca.
Press Contact
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For press inquiries, please contact the below:
Max Collister/ SK Films
Marketing and Communications Manager mcollister@skfilms.ca
