TORONTO, CANADA, April 19, 2010: SK Films and Cosmic Picture are delighted to announce the Giant Screen film JOURNEY TO MECCA: In the Footsteps of Ibn Battuta has won the Houston International Film Festival’s Remi award for Best Dramatic Short.
The Houston International Film Festival (HIFF), now in its 43rd year, is one of the oldest and largest film festivals in the world. According to organizers the goal of the festival is to “recognize and honour outstanding creative excellence in film.” Past winners at HIFF include Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, Ang Lee, Ridley Scott, Spike Lee, and the Coen brothers. This year the festival received more than 4,500 submissions from 37 countries, 60 of which were screened during the 10 day festival, including a special screening of Journey to Mecca at the Houston Museum of Natural Science. Special attention was drawn by the festival to the powerful story told by this remarkable film. Co-Producer Jonathan Barker and Senior Story Editor Wendy MacKeigan accepted the award on behalf of the Journey to Mecca team.
Journey to Mecca is an IMAX® dramatic and documentary feature filmed in Saudi Arabia and Morocco in English and in Arabic, which tells the amazing story of Ibn Battuta, one of the greatest travelers of all time. The film follows his first pilgrimage in 1325 from Tangier to Mecca. His perilous journey resonates with adventure while presenting an unforgettable picture of Islamic civilization during
the 14th century. The film culminates with Ibn Battuta’s first Hajj and dissolves into the most stunning modern day footage of the Hajj ever recorded in IMAX® with over 3 million pilgrims.
Narrated by Oscar® award winning British actor, Ben Kingsley (Gandhi, Schindler’s List), Journey to Mecca stars Chems Eddine Zinoun (The Objective) as Ibn Battuta and Hassam Ghancy (Traitor, Rendition) as the Highwayman.
Journey to Mecca was directed by Bruce Neibaur (IMAX® hits Mysteries of Egypt, Lewis & Clark) and produced by Dominic Cunningham-Reid and Taran Davies of Cosmic Picture, IMAX® veteran Jonathan Barker of SK Films and Oscar® award winning Jake Eberts as Executive Producer (Chariots of Fire, Driving Miss Daisy, Dances With Wolves).
The film is being distributed to Giant Screens worldwide by SK Films in association with National Geographic, who will also be handling DVD distribution in North America.
Visit the film’s website at www.journeytomeccagiantscreen.com.
SK Films is a Toronto based film and television company and an international leader in the worldwide Giant Screen/IMAX® film industry. The company develops, produces and distributes 3D and 2D films for IMAX and other Giant Screen theatres spanning 55 countries.
For further information contact:
Amber Hawtin, SK Films 416.367.0440 ext.3033 ahawtin@skfilms.ca
Linda Chep, SK Films 416.367.0440 ext.3037 lchep@skfilms.ca
