
Narrated by Ryan Reynolds
Executive Producers Kyle Washington and Byron Horner
Directed by Ian McAllister, Produced by Jeff Turner
Now Playing in IMAX® and Giant Screen Theatres
Directed by Ian McAllister, Produced by Jeff Turner
A Magical Environment. Unchanged for 10,000 years.
Journey to a land of grizzlies, coastal wolves, sea otters and the all-white spirit bear — the rarest bear on earth — in the film Great Bear Rainforest. Hidden from the outside world, the Great Bear Rainforest is one of the wildest places left on earth. Found on Canada’s remote Pacific coast, it is the last intact temperate rainforest in the world—a place protected by the region’s indigenous people for millennia. Now, for the first time ever, experience this magical world in IMAX and giant screen theatres, and discover the land of the spirit bear.
VIDEOS
Getting the Shots
Fun Fact Videos
WHAT IS A SPIRIT BEAR?
The spirit bear is a subspecies of the North American black bear that has white fur due to a rare genetic trait. Spirit bears are only found in the Great Bear Rainforest. No one knows exactly how many spirit bears there are, but estimates range from 50 to 100. They truly are the rarest bears on earth!
GUARDIANS OF THE FOREST
Since the last Ice Age, First Nations people have lived among the bears in the Great Bear Rainforest. Their living history is inseparably connected to the vibrancy of the rainforest, which they have protected for thousands of years. Today, indigenous youth are coming together and taking responsibility for this place they call home. Learn more about their work in Great Bear Rainforest.
Photo from Great Bear Rainforest
FOR EDUCATORS
Invite your students to have a learning experience they won’t forget! Book a field trip to see Great Bear Rainforest and become immersed in the biology, geography, environmental sciences and other key school curriculum. Download the Educator Guide for hands-on activities aligned with Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and Common Core ELA and Social Studies. Schedule your field trip now by contacting your local IMAX theatre for information about special group programs.
FIND A THEATRE
Please check back for updates. We are still adding theatres.
State | City | Theatre | Open Date |
---|---|---|---|
Arizona | Phoenix | Arizona Science Center | Now Playing |
California | San Diego | Fleet Science Center | Spring 2020 |
California | San Jose | The Tech Interactive | February 2020 |
Florida | Ft. Lauderdale | Museum of Discovery and Science | Available for School Groups |
Florida | Orlando | Orlando Science Center | Now Playing |
Florida | St. Augustine | World Golf Hall of Fame | Now Playing |
Georgia | Atlanta | Fernbank Museum of Natural History | Now Playing |
Kansas | Wichita | Exploration Place | December 14, 2019 |
Massachusetts | Boston | Museum of Science | Now Playing |
Missouri | Kansas City | Union Station Kansas City | Now Playing |
Missouri | St. Louis | St. Louis Science Center | Now Playing |
Montana | Yellowstone | Yellowstone Giant Screen Theatre | Now Playing |
New Jersey | Jersey City | Liberty Science Center | Now Playing |
North Carolina | Charlotte | Discovery Place | TBD |
North Carolina | Raleigh | Marbles Kids Museum | Now Playing |
Ohio | Cleveland | Great Lakes Science Center | Now Playing |
Ohio | Columbus | COSI | Now Playing |
Pennsylvania | Harrisburg | Whitaker Center for Science & the Arts | Now Playing |
Texas | Galveston | Moody Gardens | Now Playing |
Texas | Houston | Houston Museum of Natural Science | Now Playing |
Texas | Lubbock | Science Spectrum | Now Playing |
Washington | Seattle | Pacific Science Center | Exhibition Complete |
Wisconsin | Milwaukee | Milwaukee Public Museum | Now Playing |
Country | City | Theatre | Open Date |
---|---|---|---|
Australia | Melbourne | IMAX Melbourne | January 1, 2020 |
Canada | Calgary | TELUS Spark | Now Playing |
Canada | Edmonton | TELUS World of Science | Now Playing |
Canada | Gatineau | Canadian Museum of History | Now Playing |
Canada | Montreal | Montreal Science Centre | Now Playing |
Canada | Regina | Saskatchewan Science Centre | Now Playing |
Canada | Sudbury | Science North | Now Playing |
Canada | Toronto | Ontario Science Centre | Now Playing |
Canada | Vancouver | Science World | Now Playing |
Canada | Victoria | IMAX Victoria | Now Playing |
Mexico | Tijuana | Centro Cultural Tijuana | Exhibition Complete |
Singapore | Singapore | Science Centre Singapore | Now Playing |
The Netherlands | The Hague | Omniversum | Now Playing |
FILMING IN THE RAINFOREST
Filming in the remote Great Bear Rainforest presented a unique set of challenges for filmmakers Ian McAllister and Jeff Turner. Over the three years it took to make this film, the crew faced everything from extreme weather, unpredictable wildlife, and the daily rigors of being in a rugged environment far removed from modern conveniences. But this also pushed the filmmakers into fresh creative territory where every shot was carefully planned out and new filmmaking techniques were deployed. Learn more in this interview with director Ian McAllister, who has worked and lived in the rainforest for 30 years.
Photo by Deirdre Leowinata / PacificWild.org
LEARN MORE
To learn more about the Great Bear Rainforest and how you can help protect the spirit bears and their ancient forest home, visit PacificWild.org. Each of us can make a difference in helping preserve this unique environment, one of the last truly wild places on earth.
Get the companion book! Go behind the scenes and immerse yourself in the making of this epic film. Discover fascinating facts and crew insights, learn about the people who make their home in the rainforest and are committed to its protection, and find out about the incredible challenges of filming in this remote area.
PRESENTED BY


Great Bear Rainforest is a Spirit Bear Entertainment film presented by Seaspan in association with Destination BC and distributed by MacGillivray Freeman Films.
