Meryl Streep to Narrate 'Hurricane on the Bayou,' IMAX Film Shot in the Midst of Hurricane Katrina
g-l...@satchmo.com
for IMAX(R) Theatres Shot in the Midst of Hurricane Katrina
Film Premieres in New Orleans on Anniversary of Katrina, August 29, in
Los Angeles on September 8, and in IMAX(R) Theatres Worldwide on
December 22; Starring Celebrated New Orleans Musicians Allen Toussaint,
Tab Benoit, Amanda Shaw, and Chubby Carrier
MacGillivray Freeman Films announced today that Academy Award winning
actress Meryl Streep will narrate the company's upcoming giant screen
film, Hurricane on the Bayou, shot in the midst of Hurricane Katrina
and featuring powerful giant screen images shot before and after the
devastating storm. This marks the second giant screen film narrated by
Streep, following her participation in MacGillivray Freeman's Academy
Award-nominated giant screen documentary The Living Sea.
Hurricane on the Bayou will open August 29 at the Entergy IMAX Theatre
in New Orleans to coincide with the anniversary of Hurricane Katrina,
and on September 8 at the California Science Center IMAX Theater in Los
Angeles, and to IMAX theatres worldwide on December 22. The film is
produced and distributed by MacGillivray Freeman Films (Everest, Coral
Reef Adventure) and executive produced by Audubon Nature Institute with
major funding from the State of Louisiana and in association with
MacGillivray Freeman Films Educational Foundation.
Hurricane on the Bayou carries audiences behind today's headlines on a
journey deep into the heart of Louisiana. Filmed before and after the
unprecedented devastation of Hurricane Katrina and featuring
state-of-the-art computer generated special effects depicting the
storm's fury, Hurricane on the Bayou brings into focus the startling
loss of Louisiana's rapidly disappearing coastal wetlands -- New
Orleans' first line of defense against deadly storms. Tragically, these
wetlands are eroding into the sea at the speed of one acre every thirty
minutes, or a land area the size of Manhattan every year.
Directed by two-time Academy Award-nominated director Greg
MacGillivray, Hurricane on the Bayou stars legendary New Orleans music
producer, songwriter and Rock n' Roll Hall of Fame inductee, Allen
Toussaint, blues singer/guitarist and long-time wetlands activist Tab
Benoit; 14-year-old fiddling prodigy Amanda Shaw; and zydeco accordion
master Chubby Carrier. Also appearing in the film is Marva Wright, New
Orleans' 'Queen of Gospel.' Through their eyes the tragedy the city
faced during Katrina and its burning hopes for a revitalized future
unfold.
"Hurricane on the Bayou is an emotional giant screen document of
Katrina's powerful effects as well as a profound musical celebration of
a city that has been called the 'soul of America,' and a call to
restore New Orleans and the vital wetlands from which the city's unique
identity first arose," says director/producer Greg MacGillivray. "Meryl
Streep's ability to connect with audiences and the depth she brings to
everything she does makes her the ideal narrator for this film, which
has so many moods and which uses the full force of the IMAX theatre
film medium to not only educate and entertain but inspire."
"Ultimately, nothing can shake the spirit of the people of New Orleans.
Our city is already recovering, as it has from previous hurricanes many
times in its long history," says Audubon Nature Institute President and
CEO Ron Forman. "New Orleans WILL endure as one of the world's greatest
cities and Audubon is committed to helping ensure its future. We will
continue to educate people about the need to restore our wetlands as a
key defense against any hurricanes to come."
MacGillivray Freeman Films is the largest, most experienced independent
producer and distributor of giant screen 70mm films in the world.
Throughout the company's 40-year history, MFF films have won numerous
international awards including two Academy Award(R) nominations for
Best Documentary Short Subject for Dolphins in 2000 and in 1995 for The
Living Sea. The company's film Everest achieved unprecedented acclaim
and box office success for a large format film and is currently the
highest grossing giant screen film in history with more than $135
million in worldwide box office receipts. MacGillivray Freeman's films
are known for their artistry and successful blend of education and
entertainment, as well as their celebration of science and the natural
world.
On the web: http://www.hurricaneonthebayou.com/
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