Kentucky Science Center opens new 4-story digital theater with free family film festival

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (Feb. 5, 2014) – To celebrate the opening of their brand new four-story digital theater, Kentucky Science Center is offering a variety of unique, free theater experiences.

The theater showcased its live streaming capabilities Feb. 4 with a free public viewing of Bill Nye and Ken Ham Creationism Debate. On Feb. 8 and 9, there will be a free Family Film Festival that will highlight an array of newly released museum-quality documentaries, including one World Premiere.

The new Kentucky Science Center Digital Theater allows for even more program versatility, with the showing of documentaries, Hollywood faire, live streaming, classic movies and special events.

“Our theater has a well-established reputation for bringing a unique array of high quality educational films to the community,” said Science Center Executive Director Joanna Haas. “This new digital system builds on that and will also be a catalyst for powerful new S.T.E.M. programs and brings a full-fledged movie theater on line in the downtown corridor.”

Earlier this month, Kentucky Science Center began downtown theater renovations to its 25-year old theater by upgrading from IMAX 15/70mm film projection to a 4K digital platform with such features as 3D capability, new assisted listening technology and a first for Kentucky – Precision White Screen technology. Kentucky Science Center is the first science center in the world and first theater in Kentucky to incorporate new Precision White Screen technology from RealD Inc. Precision White Screen technology features a smooth, white surface which generates a better image contrast for improved viewing quality in 2D and 3D. With partners D3D Cinema LLC and RealD Inc, this digital system puts the Science Center on the forefront of cutting edge cinema technology.

The Free Family Film Festival at Kentucky Science Center will include at least four films in rotation:

The World Premiere of Watermelon Magic: Watermelon Magic is a film about the science of growing and the spirit of sharing. A young farmer’s daughter, who believes she has magical powers, grows her own watermelon from seed-to-flower-to-fruit. This is a film about the relationship between plants, soil, nature and people. The young girl, “Sylvie” who plays herself in the film, will make a special visit to Louisville to celebrate the opening of this charming film.

Jerusalem, narrated by English actor Benedict Cumberbatch, immerses audiences into one of the world’s most beloved cities. Discover why this tiny piece of land is sacred to three major religions through the stories of Jewish, Christian and Muslim families who call Jerusalem home. Renowned archaeologist, Dr. Jodi Magness, travels underground to solve some of this city’s greatest mysteries. Find out why, after thousands of years, Jerusalem and the Holy Land continue to stir the imagination of billions of people. Unprecedented access to the city’s holiest sites, as well as rare and breathtaking aerial footage of the Old City and the Holy Land, combine to make Jerusalem a unique and stunning cinematic experience.

The Last Reef gives viewers the chance to fly across iridescent tropical reefs, brush through a cloud of a million jellyfish, and visit an alien world beneath the waves. Reefs are hotspots of biodiversity as vital to life on Earth as the rainforests. They have been shaping our shorelines, literally forming islands and mountains, for millions of years. But the world’s coral reefs are also vanishing at five times the rate of the rainforests and could be gone within our lifetime. Like cities on land, though, reefs can rebuild. Viewers can catch a glimpse of the future with this inspirational vision of the reef’s incredible power to flourish again.

Titans of the Ice Age, which viewers saw in 2D last month at the Kentucky Science Center, will now transport viewers to the beautiful and otherworldly frozen landscapes of North America, Europe and Asia ten thousand years before modern civilization – in stunning 3D, which is a new capability of the digital system.

The Science Center’s Free Family Film Festival will offer free film passes to visitors on a first-come first-serve basis. Film passes are independent of Science Center admission and open to both members and non-members. Visitors can request free film passes at the information booth in the front lobby of the Science Center as early as 30 minutes before each show time. If a show time “sells out,” passes will be made available 30 minutes before the next show time. Passes are limited and visitors are encouraged to arrive early. Additionally, the Science Center’s concessions stand will be open all weekend.

The capabilities of the Science Center’s Digital Theater Experience don’t end with museum-quality documentaries and Hollywood features. Recently at the Science Center’s annual fundraising gala, Science With A Twist: It’s All Fun & Games, guests enjoyed a truly unique experience – playing “Frogger” and other video games on the new 41 foot tall screen. Additionally, the Science Center’s second adult series event of the year, diSEXtion, will showcase vintage human sexuality and education videos such as “Where Did I Come From” (1985) and “Are You Ready for Marriage” (1950) in the new theater throughout the evening. diSEXtion will take place on February 13, the day before Valentine’s Day, and tickets can be purchased online at KYScienceCenter.org.