Olympic Glory

IMAX Films Made by Latter-day Saints Latter-day Saints have had an unusually large role in the development of the IMAX/70mm film industry. One reason for this is that IMAX films have traditionally been relatively positive, life-affirming, and family-friendly. Certain Latter-day Saint filmmakers were unwilling to work on films which they felt promoted violence, materialism, profanity and otherwise objectional material, but they found what they considered an oasis of filmmaking opportunities in the scientific, geographical and cultural themes of IMAX films. The passion and artistry these filmmakers brought to their IMAX film topics (which some Hollywood directors considered too benign or tame to be of interest) continued to earn these Utah-based and Latter-day Saint filmmakers opportunities to work on the what are, literally, the world's largest films. Below is a partial list of IMAX/70mm large format films that were made by Latter-day Saint filmmakers. The credits accompanying each film refer only to the Latter-day Saints in key roles in the film.

Galapagos: The Enchanted Voyage

Mysteries of Egypt

Atmos (1980) - Director: Colin Low

Ballet Robotique (1982) - Cinematographer: Reed Smoot. Film nominated for an Academy Award

Grand Canyon: The Hidden Secrets (1984) - Producer/director/screenwriter: Kieth Merrill. Producer: O. Douglas Memmott. Cinematographer: Reed Smoot. Editor: Stephen L. Johnson. First inductee to IMAX Hall of Fame

Rainbow War (1985) - Cinematographer: Reed Smoot. Film nominated for an Academy Award

Skyward (1985) - Director: Stephen Low

Transitions (1986) - Director: Colin Low

Niagara: Miracles, Myths and Magic (1986) - Producer/director/screenwriter: Kieth Merrill

Zion Canyon: Treasure of the Gods (1986) - Producer/director: Kieth Merrill. Producer: O. Douglas Memmott. Composer: Sam Cardon

Beavers (1988) - Producer/director: Stephen Low

Emergence (1988) - Director: Colin Low

Alamo: The Price of Freedom (1988) - Producer/director/screenwriter: Kieth Merrill. Cinematographer: Reed Smoot. Composer: Merrill B. Jenson

The Last Buffalo (1990) - Director: Stephen Low

Polynesian Odyssey (1990) - Producer/director/screenwriter: Kieth Merrill. Co-producer: Scott Swofford. Co-writer: Ralph G. Rogers, Jr. Composer: Merrill B. Jenson. Editor: Stephen L. Johnson

Momentum (1992) - Director: Colin Low

Seville (1992) - Director: Colin Low

To Be An Astronaut (1992) - Associate Producer: Scott Swofford. Cinematographer: Reed Smoot

Flight of the Aquanaut (1992) - Producer/director: Stephen Low

Titanica (1992) - Producer/director: Stephen Low

Yellowstone (1994) - Producer/director/screenwriter: Kieth Merrill. Cinematographer: Reed Smoot

El Gust Per La Vida ("Valencia, Spain: Passion for Life") (1995) - Producer/director: Kieth Merrill. Cinematographer: T.C. Christensen

Ozarks: Legacy & Legend ("The Fiddle") (1995) - Producer: Jeff T. Miller. Producer/director/screenwriter: Kieth Merrill. Executive producer: Kevin Cullimore. Cinematographer: T.C. Christensen. Composer: Ralph Geddes

Across the Sea of Time: New York 3D (1995) - Producer/director: Stephen Low

Hearst Castle: Building the Dream (1996) - Producer: Scott Swofford. Director: Bruce Neibaur. Composer: Sam Cardon. Editor: Stephen L. Johnson

Special Effects: Anything Can Happen (1996) - Cinematographer: Reed Smoot. Sound Designer: Michael L. McDonough. Film nominated for an Academy Award

San Francisco: The Movie (1995) - Director: Kieth Merrill. Producer: O. Douglas Memmott. Composer: Sam Cardon.

Amazon (1997) - Producer/director/screenwriter: Kieth Merrill. Composer: Alan Williams. Sound Designer: Michael L. McDonough. Production Coordinator: Rob Baker. Editor: Stephen L. Johnson. Academy Award Nomination: Best Feature Documentary

The Great American West (1997) - Producer: Scott Swofford. Director: Reed Smoot. Composer: Kurt Bestor. Sound Designer: Michael L. McDonough

Whales (1997) - Composer: Sam Cardon

Super Speedway (1997) - Producer/director: Stephen Low

Mark Twain's America in 3D (1998) - Producer/director/screenwriter: Stephen Low. Composer: Alan Williams

Mysteries of Egypt (1998) - Producers: Scott Swofford, Richard W. James. Director: Bruce Neibaur. Composer: Sam Cardon. Cinematographer: Reed Smoot. Music conductor: Kurt Bestor. Production Coordinator: Rob Baker. Editor: Stephen L. Johnson

Galapagos: The Enchanted Voyage (1999) - Cinematographer: Reed Smoot

The Witness (1999; for the Mashantucket Pequot Museum) - Cinematographer: Keith Merrill. Cinematographer: T.C. Christensen

Island of the Sharks (1999) - Composer: Alan Williams. Sound Designer: Michael L. McDonough (Golden Reel Award for Best Sound Editing - Special Venue)

Olympic Glory (1999) - Producer: Scott Swofford. Producer/director: Kieth Merrill. Cinematographers: T.C. Christensen, Reed Smoot

The Testaments of One Fold and One Shepherd

The Testaments of One Fold and One Shepherd (2000) - Producer: Scott Swofford. Producer/director/screenwriter: Kieth Merrill. Composer: Merrill B. Jenson. Cast includes Rick Macy, Jeremy Elliott, Al Harrington, Marvin Payne, Arianna Marsden, Joseph Paur, Joy Gardner, Tomas Kofod, Tayva Patch, Bruce Newbold, Theo Coumbis and others. Production Manager: Jeff T. Miller. Cinematographer: T.C. Christensen

Cirque du Soleil: Journey of Man (2000) - Cinematographer: Reed Smoot

Ocean Oasis (2000) - Sound Designer: Michael L. McDonough

Shackleton's Antarctic Adventure (2001) - Producer: Scott Swofford. Cinematographer: Reed Smoot. Composer: Sam Cardon. Editor: Stephen L. Johnson. Sound Designer: Michael L. McDonough

All Access: Front Row. Backstage. Live! (2001) - Cinematographer: Reed Smoot

The Human Body (2001) - Cinematographer: Reed Smoot

The Princess and the Pea (2001) - Composer: Sam Cardon

China: The Panda Adventure (2001) - Cinematographer: Reed Smoot

Lewis & Clark: Great Journey West (2002) - Director: Bruce Neibaur. Producer: Jeff T. Miller. Editor: Stephen L. Johnson

India: Kingdom of the Tiger (2002) - Director: Bruce Neibaur

Kilimanjaro: Mountain of Many Faces (2002) - Composer: Alan Williams

Ultimate X (2002) - Cinematographer: Reed Smoot

Jane Goodall's Wild Chimpanzees (2003) - Cinematographer: Reed Smoot

Voyage into the Abyss (2002) - Director: Stephen Low

The Young Black Stallion (2003): Cinematographer: Reed Smoot

Texas: The Big Picture (2003) - Producer/director: Scott Swofford; Cinematographer: T.C. Christensen

Dinosaurs: Face to Face (2004) - Director: Kieth Merrill. Original producer: David Wanamaker. Producer: Scott Sanders

Hawking (2004?): Director: Bruce Neibaur

The Heart of India (2004) - Producer: Scott Swofford