IMAX China CEO Daniel Manwaring has highlighted the company’s role in fostering cross-cultural dialogue through technology and storytelling, underscoring efforts to transform its theaters into vibrant cultural hubs while amplifying the global reach of Chinese cinema.
At a sub-forum of the Global Civilizations Dialogue Ministerial Meeting in Beijing, Manwaring said that on a global level, IMAX is using its extensive network and people-to-people exchanges to bridge cultural understanding.
"I think it comes first in our network. Over the past few years, we've helped deliver great films like Ne Zha 2, The Wandering Earth II, and Creation of the Gods to audiences all over the world, leveraging our network and our IMAX experience. So that's a really compelling tool that we like to use for bridging cultures around the world," he said.
According to Manwaring, the company is utilizing technology to help level the international playing field in filmmaking.
"That really, in many forms, comes in the form of our camera. And we have a film-for-IMAX program where we utilize our digital cameras, we put them in the hands of international filmmakers -- whether they're from China, for which we're doing more this year than we've ever done in the company's history, as well as other parts of the world. And with that, these storytellers have the ability to truly take their stories and put them on a canvas that is larger than life," the CEO added.
He also drew attention to the ways IMAX is re-envisioning its cineplexes as more than just places to see a movie, where people of various backgrounds and interests can gather.
"We're turning our theaters now into multi-purpose cultural destinations. So in addition to film, we're doing more in sports, music, and other forms of cultural entertainment. So we see IMAX as a destination for cultures of all sorts of entertainment, allowing those dialogues and experiences to take place, whether it's through esports for which we did a live event last year here in China or even basketball games," Manwaring said.
Under the theme of "Safeguarding Diversity of Human Civilizations for World Peace and Development", the Global Civilizations Dialogue Ministerial Meeting, held on Thursday and Friday in Beijing, attracted over 600 political figures, scholars and experts from around the world.
IMAX champions cultural exchange, elevates Chinese films on global stage: executive
