Graeme Ferguson, the Canadian filmmaker who co-founded Imax, died on Saturday at the age of 91.
Ferguson had reportedly been battling cancer, passing away at his home in Norway Point, Ontario.
Imax posted on Twitter to confirm the sad news. “We mourn the passing of Graeme Ferguson, visionary IMAX Co-Founder and iconic filmmaker,” they said. “Thank you and rest in peace, Graeme.”
We mourn the passing of Graeme Ferguson, visionary IMAX Co-Founder and iconic filmmaker. Thank you and rest in peace, Graeme. pic.twitter.com/oVGvWXw0L0
— IMAX (@IMAX) May 10, 2021
Ferguson founded the Imax Corporation in 1967, with filmmaker Roman Kroitor, businessman Robert Kerr, and engineer William Shaw. His latter two collaborators had been friends of his since high school.
The initial inspiration for Imax was Polar Life, an experimental film that Ferguson directed for Expo ’67 in Montreal. In collaboration with Kroitor, Kerr and Shaw, he would develop a proprietary system of high-resolution cameras, film formats, projectors and theaters which would bring a new sense of immersion and scope to the cinematic experience.
