IMAX Corporation Mourns the Loss of Co-Founder Roman Kroitor

IMAX Corporation Mourns the Loss of Co-Founder Roman Kroitor

Legacy of Pioneering Filmmaker and Technology Innovator Changed the Way Audiences Experience Movies

TORONTO, Sept. 19, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- IMAX Corporation (NYSE: IMAX; TSX: IMX) is deeply saddened to announce the passing of co-founder Roman Kroitor on Sept. 16 at the age of 85. Kroitor, along with Graeme Ferguson, Robert Kerr and Bill Shaw, founded IMAX.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20111107/MM01969LOGO)

In 1967, as a filmmaker with the National Film Board of Canada (NFB), Kroitor collaborated on a groundbreaking multi-screen, immersive cinema experience with the film In the Labyrinth for Expo 67 in Montreal. Co-directed by Kroitor with Colin Low and Hugh O'Connor, and co-produced with Tom Daly, the film set the stage for a new era in cinema and the birth of IMAX.

Soon after, Kroitor, along with Ferguson and Kerr, co-founded Multi-Screen Corporation, which eventually became IMAX Corporation. Upon inventing the IMAX film system, the team set about redefining the possibilities of cinema.

"Roman was a true visionary, artist and man whose imagination wasn't limited by technology. In fact, his creative imagination inspired new technology that changed the way people would experience movies forever, which was the foundation from which IMAX was built," said IMAX CEO Richard L. Gelfond. "We all owe a debt of gratitude to Roman and will honor his memory by carrying on his spirit of creativity, inventiveness and his passion for bringing the most immersive and inspiring film experiences to audiences worldwide."

At last night's Giant Screen Cinema Association's 2012 International Conference held in Sacramento, CA, IMAX co-founder Ferguson said, "Roman was both a filmmaker and an inventor. Every film you see today, and most movie theatres you go to today, bear the mark of his genius."

Born in Yorkton, Saskatchewan, in December 1926, Kroitor was a brilliant editor, director and technical innovator. He began a long and distinguished career with the National Film Board (NFB) of Canada in 1949, where he pioneered several cinematographic innovations that would help redefine documentary filmmaking and inspire a generation of artists. His creative partnerships with Wolf Koenig and Low resulted in some of the NFB's most acclaimed documentaries of all time, including Glenn Gould - On & Off the Record,Lonely Boy, Stravinsky and Universe.

Even after Kroitor's time at IMAX, he remained heavily involved with the Company, developing innovative ways to use the medium. In 1991, he co-directed Rolling Stones: At the Max, the first feature film produced in the IMAX format, and he produced the IMAX(®) 3D film CyberWorld in2000.

Kroitor is survived by his wife Janet and children Paul, Tanya, Lesia, Stephanie and Yvanna.

About IMAX Corporation
IMAX Corporation is one of the world's leading entertainment and technology companies, specializing in the creation and delivery of premium, awe-inspiring entertainment experiences. With a growing suite of cutting-edge motion picture and sound technologies, and a globally recognized entertainment brand, IMAX is singularly situated at the convergence of the entertainment industry, innovation and the digital media world. The industry's top filmmakers and studios are utilizing IMAX theatres to connect with audiences in extraordinary ways, and as such, the IMAX network is among the most important and successful theatrical distribution platforms for major event films around the globe. The Company's new digital projection and sound systems - combined with a growing blockbuster film slate - are fueling the rapid expansion of the IMAX network in established markets such as North America, Western Europe, and Japan, as well as emerging markets such as China and Russia. IMAX deliver the world's best cinematic presentations using proprietary IMAX(®), IMAX(® )3D, and IMAX DMR(®) (Digital Re-Mastering) technologies. IMAX DMR enables virtually any motion picture to be transformed into the unparalleled image and sound quality of The IMAX Experience(®).

IMAX is headquartered in New York, Toronto and Los Angeles, with offices in London, Tokyo, Shanghai and Beijing. As of June 30, 2012, there were 663 IMAX theatres (529 commercial multiplex, 20 commercial destination and 114 institutional) in 52 countries.

IMAX(®), IMAX(®) 3D, IMAX DMR(®), Experience It In IMAX(®), An IMAX 3D Experience(®), The IMAX Experience(®) and IMAX Is Believing(TM) are trademarks of IMAX Corporation. More information about the Company can be found at www.imax.com. You may also connect with IMAX on Facebook (www.facebook.com/imax), Twitter (www.twitter.com/imax) and YouTube (www.youtube.com/imaxmovies).

This press release contains forward looking statements that are based on IMAX management's assumptions and existing information and involve certain risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ materially from future results expressed or implied by such forward looking statements. These risks and uncertainties are discussed in IMAX's most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and most recent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q.

For additional information please contact:



Business Media: Investors:
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IMAX Corporation - New York IMAX Corporation - New York
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Ann Sommerlath Teri Loxam
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212-821-0155 212-821-0110
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asommerlath@imax.com tloxam@imax.com
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Sloane & Company - New York Entertainment Media:
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Whit Clay Principal Communications Group - Los Angeles
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212-446-1864 Melissa Zuckerman/Paul Pflug
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paul@pcommgroup.com
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SOURCE IMAX Corporation

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IMAX Corporation

Web Site: http://www.imax.com


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