IMAX To Launch, China: The Panda Adventure, With Trane as The Worldwide Presenting Sponsor

TORONTO, July 11 /CNW/ -- IMAX Corporation (Nasdaq: IMAX - news; TSE: IMX - news) announced today that it has concluded an agreement with Trane, the air conditioning subsidiary of American Standard (NYSE: ASD - news), to become the worldwide presenting sponsor of the new IMAX® film CHINA: The Panda Adventure.

CHINA: The Panda Adventure combines spectacular never-before-filmed images of China, breathtaking scenes with Giant Pandas and an incredible true story of hope, courage and triumph of the human spirit. The film stars Maria Bello (ER, Payback, Duets) and is based on the true story of Ruth Harkness, who, in the 1930s, travels to the mysterious jungles of China to follow in her late husband's footsteps and achieve his dream of bringing the first live Giant Panda bear to America.

"We are very pleased to have Trane on board as the worldwide presenting sponsor of this film. CHINA: The Panda Adventure will enable hundreds of thousands of people to explore some of China's most spectacular and inaccessible regions," said IMAX co-CEOs Richard L. Gelfond and Bradley J. Wechsler. "CHINA: The Panda Adventure will also provide audiences with a ringside seat to view the world's most beloved endangered species, the Giant Panda, on screens up to eight stories high."

"Our sponsorship of the IMAX film, CHINA: The Panda Adventure will allow us to heighten consumer awareness of Trane's environmentally-friendly products," said Trane President, Jim Schultz. "At the same time it will enable us to support the efforts of World Wildlife Fund, the World-Famous San Diego Zoo and the Chinese government to educate the public about the importance of protecting one of the most beloved endangered species in the world, the Giant Panda. In addition to supporting the conservation message the film raises, we welcome the opportunity to be associated with the IMAX brand because it commands immediate international recognition and represents wholesome quality family entertainment."

Over the past hundred years, the Giant Panda has become one of the most revered animals in the world, however, today it is estimated that fewer than 1000 pandas remain alive of which most are confined to the bamboo forests of south-western China. Today, the Giant Panda is listed among the first-class protected animals in China.