Press Room
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 18, 2019
MEDIA CONTACT: Cody Hefner (513) 608-5777, chefner@cincymuseum.org
Apollo 11: First Step Edition returns to the OMNIMAX® Theater
Original footage presents historic Moon landing in stunning detail
CINCINNATI, EARTH – Experience the spectacle of one of humanity’s greatest achievements in thrilling detail with Apollo 11: First Steps Edition. Created exclusively for giant screen theaters by director Todd Douglas Miller, the film features never-before-seen footage and audio from the historic mission. The film returns to the Robert D. Lindner Family OMNIMAX® Theater September 28 with the opening of the Smithsonian exhibition Destination Moon: The Apollo 11 Mission.
Apollo 11: First Steps Edition returns to the OMNIMAX® after a one-day run on July 20 that sold out 12 consecutive showings. The 2,750 guests was the highest single day attendance for the theater since 2006.
Relive the first steps and remarkable achievement of Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, Michael Collins and thousands of people behind the scenes in stunning footage, much of it revealed to the public for the first time. Crafted from a newly-discovered trove of never-before-seen 70mm footage and more than 11,000 hours of uncatalogued audio recordings, Apollo 11: First Steps Edition puts you at the center of NASA’s historic lunar landing.
“What makes this movie so much better than any other that celebrates the 50th anniversary is that the producers used only original 50-year-old film and audio without any modern commentary. That alone makes you feel like you are living through the historic event,” says Dave Duszynski, president of Mercury Museum Services. “Perhaps the most amazing moment is the Saturn V rocket launch as experienced with the OMNIMAX® Theater’s new sound system.”
Created entirely from archival materials provided by NASA and the National Archives, Apollo 11: First Steps Edition is a cinematic event 50 years in the making. The film features incredible shots of the launch, inside Mission Control and recovery and post-mission activities. Audio recordings capture individual tracks from 60 key mission personnel throughout every moment of the mission.
“The Apollo 11 mission was humanity’s greatest adventure and we’re pleased to be bringing this edition to science centers and museums everywhere,” says director Todd Douglas Miller. “This film was designed to take full advantage of the immersive quality of giant screen theaters.”
Apollo 11: First Steps Edition is a perfect companion film for CMC’s upcoming exhibition Destination Moon: The Apollo 11 Mission, a national traveling exhibition produced by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES) and the National Air and Space Museum. The exhibition features over 20 authentic artifacts from the Apollo program, including several flown aboard Apollo 11 on its historic mission. The highlight of the exhibition is the Apollo 11 command module Columbia, the only portion of the spacecraft to safely return home after successfully landing men on the moon and returning them to Earth. Cincinnati is the final stop of Destination Moon’s national tour and will open September 28, 2019.
Apollo 11: First Steps Edition will run in the OMNIMAX® Theater from September 28, 2019 to February 17, 2020. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit cincymuseum.org/first-steps.
Apollo 11: First Steps Edition is directed by Todd Douglas Miller, produced by Statement Pictures in partnership with CNN Films and distributed by MacGillivray Freeman Films.
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About Cincinnati Museum Center
Cincinnati Museum Center (CMC) at Union Terminal is a nationally recognized institution and national historic landmark. Dedicated to sparking community dialogue, insight and inspiration, CMC was awarded the 2009 National Medal for Museum and Library Service from the Institute of Museum and Library Services and received accreditation from the American Alliance of Museums in 2012. CMC is one of a select few museums in the nation with both of these honors, making it a unique asset and a vital community resource. Union Terminal has been voted the nation's 45th most important building by the American Institute of Architects. Organizations within CMC include the Cincinnati History Museum, Duke Energy Children's Museum, Museum of Natural History & Science, Robert D. Lindner Family OMNIMAX® Theater and Cincinnati History Library & Archives. Recognized by Forbes Traveler Magazine as the 17th most visited museum in the country, CMC welcomes more than one million visitors annually. For more information, visit www.cincymuseum.org.
About Statement Picture
Statement Pictures LLC was formed in 2011 in Brooklyn, NY to produce independent feature-length motion picture films and visual content. It is co-owned by filmmakers Todd Douglas Miller and Thomas Petersen. The company’s first feature film, Dinosaur 13, premiered on opening night at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival and was acquired by Lionsgate and CNN Films for theatrical and broadcast exhibition, winning an Emmy Award for Outstanding Science and Technology Programming.
About CNN Films
CNN Films produces and acquires documentary feature and short films for theatrical and festival exhibition and distribution across CNN’s multiple platforms. Amy Entelis, executive vice president of talent and content development, oversees the strategy for CNN Films; Courtney Sexton, vice president for CNN Films, works day-to-day with filmmakers to oversee projects. For more information about CNN Films, please visit www.CNN.com/CNNFilms and follow @CNNFilms via Twitter. CNN Films previously collaborated with Todd Douglas Miller for its presentation of Dinosaur 13. Recent acclaimed CNN Films include RBG, directed by Betsy West and Julie Cohen; Love, Gilda, directed by Lisa D’Apolito; and Three Identical Strangers, directed by Tim Wardle.
About MacGillivray Freeman Films
MacGillivray Freeman Films is the world’s foremost independent producer and distributor of giant-screen 70mm films with more than 40 films for IMAX and giant-screen theatres to its credit. Throughout the company’s 50-year history, its films have won numerous international awards including two Academy Award nominations for The Living Sea and Dolphins and three films inducted into the IMAX Hall of Fame, including Everest, the highest grossing giant screen film of all time, MacGillivray Freeman’s films are known for their artistry and celebration of science and the natural world. It is the first documentary film company to reach the one-billion-dollar benchmark for worldwide box office.
Marketing Communications
Cody Hefner
Director of Communications
(513) 287-7054
chefner@cincymuseum.org
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