“EXPEDITION OF THE YEAR AWARD” PRESENTED TO MYSTERY OF THE NILE EXPLORERS PASQUALE SCATURRO AND GORDON BROWN

Laguna Beach, California, June 8, 2005—A prestigious panel of editors from high profile outdoor publications awarded Pasquale Scaturro and Gordon Brown the first ever “Expedition of the Year Award.” The award recognized the team’s historic expedition to navigate the Blue Nile and Nile River from source to sea while filming the giant screen film Mystery of the Nile.

Scaturro and Brown received the award at this year’s Everest Awards ceremony held at the annual Teva Mountain Games in Colorado on June 4.

The story of their historic expedition is documented in Mystery of the Nile, the 47-minute giant screen film from Orbita Max and MacGillivray Freeman Films released in February this year. The critically-acclaimed documentary is now playing in more than fifty IMAX® theaters and other large format theatres around the world and has been seen by approximately 1.5 million people with an estimated worldwide gross box office return of more than $8 million. A companion book co-authored by Scaturro and award-winning writer Richard Bangs is also available, Mystery of the Nile: The Epic Story of the First Descent of the World’s Deadliest River (G.P. Putnam’s Sons).

“Gordon and Pasquale’s four-month expedition down the Blue Nile will go down in history as one of the greatest expeditions in modern times, and I can’t think of two explorers more deserving of this honor,” said Mystery of the Nile producer Greg MacGillivray. “We send our heartfelt congratulations to Pasquale and Gordon and wish them many more great adventures.”

Scaturro and Brown embarked on their 3,260-mile Blue Nile journey in December 2003. During more than four months on the river in some of the world’s remotest regions, the explorers faced crocodile attacks, gunfire from bandits, severe sandstorms, military arrests, and some of the world’s most dangerous whitewater rapids. Numerous explorers before them had attempted to descend the Blue Nile, but none had succeeded.

“Mystery of the Nile has received an overwhelmingly enthusiastic response from the giant screen theatre community and is on track to be one of the most successful films, it not the most successful film, released in the format this year,” said Mike Lutz, Director of the MacGillivray Freeman Films Distribution Company. “Thanks to Pasquale and Gordon’s stunning achievement and the film’s important message, theatre directors report that the audience buzz has had a tangibly positive impact on their 2005 operations.”

The Teva Mountain Games is the country’s largest adventure sports, art and music festival and is hosted by performance footwear manufacturer Teva. The Everest Awards were created to recognize outstanding individual achievement in the world of outdoor sport and are presented by Veramonte, makers of fine Chilean wines. The Everest Award nominees and award winners were selected by an independent panel of editors from major outdoor sports publications.

Teva is an official promotional partner for Mystery of the Nile and has taken the lead in marketing the film to outdoor sports enthusiasts. “We are delighted that Pasquale and Gordon were chosen to receive this special recognition,” said Liz Ferrin, Teva’s Global Promotions Manager. “The Teva team is inspired by their accomplishment and we have been honored to work closely with Pasquale and Gordon to share their Mystery of the Nile story with fans around the world. We can’t think of two nicer guys to receive the award.”

Mystery of the Nile was written and directed by Jordi Llompart; produced by Llompart and Greg MacGillivray; edited by Stephen Judson; director of photography is Reed Smoot; music composed by David Giró with additional music and arrangements by Steve Wood.

Mystery of the Nile continues to open in theatres around the world and will be seen in more than sixty major cities this year. Exhibition dates for next year are currently being scheduled. For a complete listing of theatres showing the film, visit www.nilefilm.com.

About MacGillivray Freeman Films

MacGillivray Freeman Films is the largest, most experienced independent producer and distributor of giant screen 70mm films in the world. Throughout the company’s 40-year history, MFF films have won numerous international awards including an Academy Award® nomination for Best Documentary Short Subject in 2000 for “Dolphins,” and a 1995 nomination in the same category for “The Living Sea.” In 1998, the giant screen film “Everest” achieved unprecedented acclaim and box office success for a large format film. More recently, the company’s film “Coral Reef Adventure” was named Best Film of the Year by the Giant Screen Theater Association. “Mystery of the Nile” is the company’s first project co-produced with Orbita Max of Spain. MacGillivray Freeman’s films are known for their artistry and successful blend of education and entertainment, as well as their celebration of science and the natural world.

For more information, please visit www.macfreefilms.com or contact:
Lori Rick, 949-494-1055, lrick@macfreefilms.com