IMAX is a well-known Canadian manufacturer of the best motion picture systems in the world. Since the middle of the 1960s and up to the present time, IMAX has gradually expanded its international market presence, turning into the feature film leader both in Canada and internationally. It should be noted, that on the IMAX’s way to the motion picture Olympus, the Canadian government played not the least role. Currently, it is the government of Canada that actively promotes IMAX trademark and makes significant investments into the development of IMAX feature film products.
The Government of Canada is well known for its active participation in the cultural life of Canada. Numerous cultural agencies and heritage groups are created to speed up the development of feature film industry in Canada. “Since the late 1960s, the Government of Canada has sought to give Canadian audiences access to Canadian films on the big screen by promoting the development of a Canadian film industry” (Anonymous, 2005); and promoting the IMAX format has always been the essential component of these strategies.
For the Government to promote and expand the use of IMAX format meant not only to provide audiences with the growing home viewing opportunities, but also to maintain an international image of Canada as of a culturally conscious country. That is why in the middle of 2008 the Government announced the development of the new Science North IMAX film project, with state funding exceeding $600,000 (Sudbury News, 2008). It should be noted, that Canadian government provides Canadian filmmakers with significant tax incentives, but the most recent censorship initiative may zero the effectiveness of all IMAX business operations.
“The criteria for denying tax credits to include grounds such as gratuitous violence, significant sexual content that lacks an educational purpose, or denigration of an identifiable group” (Rich, 2008). Nevertheless, it is obvious that even in the light of these censorship issues, Canadian government will actively work to promote IMAX as the leading feature film trademark. References Anonymous. (2005). The role of federal government support in the development of the