America Wild Film Crew Stops in Washington D.C.

Production on an IMAX film on the National Park Service that will be used to attract foreign tourists to the United States next year continued in Washington D.C. over the April 10-13 weekend.

Independent filmmaker MacGillivray Freeman Films sent crews to Washington to capture images of the city’s monuments and memorials amid the cherry blossoms for a film it is making in partnership with Brand USA as a tribute to the National Park Service’s centennial anniversary in 2016.

Brand USA is the nation’s official destination marketing organization, a public-private enterprise established to drive international tourism to the U.S. With MacGillivray Freeman Films, it plans to release the giant-screen film, America Wild: U.S. National Parks (working title), globally to IMAX theaters and other giant-screen cinemas during the first quarter of 2016.

“The movie is an ideal vehicle to showcase U.S. national parks and the great outdoors experiences available to, through and beyond our gateways to an international audience,” said Chris Thompson, Brand USA president and CEO. “There are approximately 800 giant-screen theaters in 60 countries around the world. China, for instance, one of the top source markets for travel to the U.S., has more than 75 giant-screen venues.”

MacGillivray Freeman has made nine of the top 20 giant-screen box-office hits, including “Everest” (1998), the highest-grossing IMAX documentary film ever ($152 million).

Brand USA also recently launched a new website – The United States of Great Outdoors – that highlights outdoor travel destinations and experiences across the country. In addition to the native English version, the site is available in seven other languages.

“Spotlighting the magnificent terrain, diverse environments and natural wonders across our land provides international travelers with a window to some of the most iconic locations in the U.S.,” Thompson said.

Content on the new site includes an array of travel stories, photography and videos that focus on adventure, nature, family travel and other themes, along with stories organized by destination. Features like “10 Incredible Selfie Spots Across the USA,” photos of the week and must-see lists provide travel information and trip ideas in easy-to-read snippets. Visitors to The United States of Great Outdoors microsite can get behind-the-scenes look at the making of the America Wild film. Watch grizzly bears fishing in Alaska, relive the President Theodore Roosevelt camping trip with conservationist John Muir at Yosemite National Park in California, and see professional climber Conrad Anker scaling the red rocks at Arches National Park in Utah.

New articles and video content is added to the site on a weekly basis to showcase the breadth and wonder of the USA’s great outdoors.
 
Brand USA, the destination marketing organization for the United States, was established by the Travel Promotion Act to spearhead the nation's global marketing effort to promote the United States as a premier travel destination and to communicate U.S. visa and entry policies and procedures to worldwide travelers. Formed as the Corporation for Travel Promotion in 2010, the public-private entity began operations in May 2011 and does business as Brand USA. With a mission of increasing international visitation to the United States, Brand USA works in close partnership with the travel industry and the federal government to maximize the economic and social benefits of travel. These benefits include creating jobs essential to the economy and fostering understanding between people and cultures.

According to a 2014 study by Oxford Economics, Brand USA's marketing initiatives in 2013 alone resulted in an incremental increase of 1.1 million visitors to the USA and total impact on the U.S. economy of $7.4 billion in spending, which supported 53,000 new jobs.

Brand USA’s marketing programs are funded at no cost to U.S. taxpayers. Funding is generated through a combination of private-sector investment and matching funds collected by the U.S. Government from international visitors who come to the United States under the Visa Waiver Program. Through its call-to-action-Discover America-Brand USA inspires travelers to explore the United States of America’s boundless possibilities.

For industry or partner information about Brand USA, visit www.TheBrandUSA.com.