IMAX Theatre Debuts National Geographic's JERUSALEM Today

Jerusalem: no bigger than a square mile, the city has been fought over more than any other place on Earth-conquered and destroyed, rebuilt and reinvented repeatedly over 5,000 years. Now, for the first-time ever, a new giant screen film adventure immerses audiences in a spectacular cinematic journey-soaring high above the Holy Land and plunging deep into the vibrant Old City-so they can experience as never before the iconic sites cherished by billions of the world's Jews, Christians and Muslims. Today, September 23rd, the IMAX Theatre at Palisades Center premieres JERUSALEM, a captivating new film that explores on a grand scale the intersection of science, history and religion in this enigmatic place.

Narrated by Benedict Cumberbatch, JERUSALEM, gives audiences a rare tour of the ancient, storied city, as well as exclusive access to iconic holy sites and little-known parts of the region-including the Western Wall, the Dome of the Rock, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the Jordan River, the Sea of Galilee, and the mountain fortress of Masada. Filmmakers were granted special permits to the region's strict no-fly zone, enabling them to capture the first-ever large format aerial images of the Old City and throughout the Holy Land.

An original production from Cosmic Picture and Arcane Pictures and distributed by National Geographic Entertainment, the 40-minute large format film was executive produced by the late Jake Eberts, legendary financier of movies such as "Gandhi," "Chariots of Fire," and "Dances with Wolves"; produced by Taran Davies, George Duffield and Daniel Ferguson; and directed by Daniel Ferguson. Large format industry veteran Reed Smoot is Director of Cinematography.

"With this extraordinary film's immersive experience, audiences will feel as if they are really walking the streets of this beloved and iconic place," said Lisa Truitt, president of NGE.

"Through the unrivaled beauty, visceral nature and incredible technology of the Imax format, you feel as if you are experiencing Jerusalem up-close and first-hand," said director and co-producer Daniel Ferguson.

JERUSALEM interviews prominent archaeologists, historians and religious scholars and follows real-life inhabitants of the city to explore the enduring appeal of this unique crossroads of civilization. Since 2010, the JERUSALEM production team has documented the progress of some of the thousands of excavations in and around Jerusalem. Prominent archaeologist and religious studies professor Dr. Jodi Magness, of the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, explains the layers and layers of occupation and how the projects currently underway could yield important new insights into the history of the ancient city. Audiences will also meet three teenaged girls who call Jerusalem home: Farah Amouri, Revital Zechariah, and Nadia Tadros. Each girl is from one of the three major world religions that share the Old City, yet in separate quarters. Each one gives audiences a tour of the Holy City she loves and the sites most meaningful from her perspectivefrom the Damascus Gate and the Dome of the Rock, to the Western Wall and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.

Tickets are now on sale and group reservations are beings scheduled. For more information call 845-353-5555, extension 200.

The Imax Theatre at Palisades Center boasts one of the largest screens and one of the few remaining 1570 projection systems in the country which allows incredibly sharp detail and the capacity to display images of far greater size and resolution than conventional film systems bringing movies to life in a way that is simply not possible in many movie theatres including spectacular 3D images. This means Rockland, Orange, Bergen and Westchester residents have an opportunity to see films shot with Imax cameras the way the director intended - full screen with full six story high action.

For last minute news and information, people are encouraged to sign up to follow Imax on Twitter by visiting http://www.twitter.com/imaxpalisades and on Facebook. Imax Theatre at Palisades Center is located on the top floor in the Palisades Center Mall in West Nyack near Target. For information on tickets and showtimes, visit http://www.imax.com/palisades.