Epic New Giant Screen 3D
Adventure Captures One of the Longest Migrations on Earth
and the
Inspiring True Story
of One Scientist’s Stunning Discovery
Flight of
the Butterflies in 3D, a breathtaking new giant screen
adventure from SK Films, is coming to the BIGGEST screen
in South Florida, AutoNation® IMAX 3D Theater on
February 8, 2013. Through spectacular 3D imagery, audiences
will witness beautiful butterflies flying off the screen
into their arms.
Based on a remarkable true story, the epic film immerses
audiences in a triumphant journey of perseverance that
spans thousands of miles and several generations -- tracking
real monarch butterflies to their mysterious Mexican
winter haven where audiences will discover a truly spectacular
sight: hundreds of millions of REAL live butterflies
in one of the most amazing places on Earth!
The film is the awe-inspiring story of two unlikely heroes
that share a common strength. Based on true events, it
follows the epic journey of the iconic monarch butterfly
in one of the most incredible migrations on Earth, and
the determined scientist, Dr. Fred Urquhart, who spent
40 years trying to discover the mysteries surrounding
their journey and secret winter hideaway.
What began with a small boy daydreaming about where butterflies
went each winter became a lifelong pursuit by Urquart,
who ingeniously enlisted the help of legions of volunteers,
known as “citizen scientists,” to help with
tagging and tracking the butterflies. The decades-long
quest yielded the ultimate discovery of the monarch butterflies’ over
wintering sites in the sanctuaries of Mexico.
Through spectacular Giant Screen / IMAX® technology
audiences are transported into the tiny world of one
intrepid creature – Dana (Danaus Plexippus) – and
her offspring as they migrate north from Mexico through
the U.S. to Canada and back south again to the captivating
hidden butterfly sanctuaries set 10,000 feet high in
the mountains of the States of Michoacán and Mexico.
The iconic monarch butterfly is a true marvel of nature.
Weighing less than a penny, it makes one of the longest
migrations on Earth across a continent, yet with pinpoint
navigational accuracy, to a place it has never been.
While much has been learned, scientists are still unraveling
the many inter-related aspects of this phenomenon of
the natural world. As the film illustrates, it takes
two to three generations of butterflies to migrate north
from Mexico through the U.S. to Canada and one “super
generation” to complete the migration back south
to Mexico.
Flight of the Butterflies received major funding
from the National Science Foundation and includes an extensive Educational Outreach
Program, built in partnership with The Maryland Science Center.
The world’s top
monarch butterfly experts, including Dr. Chip Taylor, Dr. Karen Oberhauser and
Dr. Lincoln Brower, served as scientific advisors to the film. Major support
has also come from the Mexican Federal Government (Environment & Tourism) and
the States of México and Michoacán, as well as from two of the most important
companies in Mexico – Coca-Cola FEMSA, and Grupo Bimbo (the world’s largest
baked goods company).
In 2008, UNESCO declared the monarch butterfly reserve in Mexico
a World Heritage Site. Monarch butterflies depend on milkweed and milkweed habitats
for survival.
Despite efforts by the Mexican government to protect the sanctuaries,
enforcement is difficult in remote regions and several forces persist in threatening
the survival of the monarch butterfly migration, including degradations of forest
habitats, the side effects of industrial farming and climate change.
Significant
portions of the film’s box office revenue will go towards Monarch butterfly conservation
through Mexico’s leading conservation organization, Fondo Mexicano para la Conservación
de la Naturaleza.
Toronto Star ★★★★ ”A real life ‘Indiana Jones’ adventure”
Toronto Sun ★★★★ ”A fantastic flight…eye-popping”
Now Magazine (Toronto, ON) ★★★★ ”Nature doc soars…breathtaking”
National Post (Canada) “All the more beautiful for being true”
New York Times “Fascinating….. Stunning photography”
The Washington Post
“… reminiscent of March of the Penguins in terms of its ability to tug at heartstrings… this miniature underdog story manages to take on human scale”
AutoNation ® IMAX ® 3D Theater
Located at the MUSEUM OF DISCOVERY AND SCIENCE
401 Southwest Second Street, Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33312
Museum
information: 954-467-MODS • IMAX ® showtimes: 954-463-IMAX
Open 365 days a year including Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Convenient
parking is always available at the Arts & Entertainment garage
located across the street from the museum. Metered
street parking is also available along S.W. Second Street and there
are several parking lots located one block east of the museum.
