MacGillivray Freeman Films, Brand USA, and Sponsoring Partners Launch America's Musical Journey, the Newest IMAX® Documentary Starring Grammy Award®-Nominated Singer and Songwriter Aloe Blacc and Narrated By Academy Award®-Winning Actor, Morgan Freeman

WASHINGTON, Feb. 15, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- America's Musical Journey, the new 3D documentary for IMAX^® and giant screen theaters, will hold its world premieres on Thursday, February 15, at the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum and Friday, February 16, at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History. The movie will open globally this Friday, February 16, in select IMAX® and giant screen theatres with a roll out expansion planned throughout the year through the Fall of 2018 and beyond. This is the second film that MacGillivray Freeman Films has produced in association with Brand USA and Expedia as the presenting partners. America's Musical Journey marks Air Canada's first time as a presenting sponsor. The new film celebrates the unique diversity of cultures and creative innovations that characterize America, as told through the story of its music.

Narrated by Academy Award^® winner Morgan Freeman, the film follows Grammy Award^®-nominated singer and songwriter Aloe Blacc as he traces the roots of America's music and follows the footsteps of Louis Armstrong through the colorful locales and cultures where America's music was born. Visiting iconic music cities including New Orleans, Louisiana; Chicago, Illinois; New York City, New York; Nashville, and Memphis, Tennessee; Miami, Florida, and more, America's Musical Journey explores the collision of cultures that gave birth to American art forms such as jazz, the blues, country, rock and roll, hip-hop, and more. As audiences join Blacc on this joyful, tune-filled tour, they'll experience uniquely American adventures like paddle-wheel boating up the Mississippi Delta, flash mob dancing in Chicago, and skydiving with Elvis impersonators over Memphis in scenes shot exclusively for the giant screen.

Academy Award^®-nominated director Greg MacGillivray threads all these images together to create an immersive experience of American culture and creativity with a soundtrack that showcases the national passion for creative innovation at its purest. "America's music has its roots in the diverse cultures that came together from different parts of the world, culminating in a unique blend of sound, culture, and innovation unlike anywhere else in the world," said MacGillivray. "This creativity and trailblazing spirit is what makes American music such a treasured experience around the world. I hope people are inspired to explore their own creativity after seeing the film."

"Music is an essential part of the human experience, and I look forward to helping audiences discover the unique cultural influences that gave rise to jazz, the blues, folk, and other American musical genres," says Aloe Blacc. "I love the freedom of expression in this country, which is a source of creativity and innovation unlike anywhere else."

"We are excited to share our second film with the world, which celebrates the rich history and colorful tapestry of American culture through music," said Christopher L. Thompson, president and CEO of Brand USA, the destination marketing organization for the United States. "As a universal language that transcends borders, music is one of America's most unique and important assets. Bringing to life the sights and sounds of our vibrant urban centers, America's Musical Journey uses music as an instrument to inspire and welcome new audiences to experience travel to the USA in an engaging and dynamic new way."

In addition to Aloe Blacc, audiences will meet other iconic artists, musicians, and innovators who are shaping America's culture today, including Jon Batiste, bandleader and musical director of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Latin music stars Gloria and Emilio Estefan, New Orleans music hero Dr. John, Chicago jazz pianist Ramsey Lewis, teenage banjo-playing phenomenon Willow Osborne, Memphis jookin dance star Lil Buck, the Detroit Youth Choir, Chicago footwork maestros Pause Eddie and Donnetta "Lil Bit" Jackson, the Bandaloop vertical dancers, the Fisk University Jubilee Singers, the Beale Street Flippers, skydiving Elvis impersonators, and many more.

"Music has the power to bring people together, especially here in America where diversity and creative freedom are such an important part of the culture," says Shaun MacGillivray, producer of America's Musical Journey and president of MacGillivray Freeman Films. "We're using the immersive, visual giant screen experience to tell the story of America's musical and cultural heritage in a new and powerful way."

This is the second collaboration for these companies, following the highly successful National Parks Adventure, voted Best Film of the Year by the Giant Screen Cinema Association and the highest grossing documentary film of 2016.

"As a longtime partner of Brand USA, we are honored to lend support and raise awareness as a global sponsor and exclusive online travel activation partner of this film," said Wendy Olson Killion, global senior director of Expedia Media Solutions. "We believe music has the ability to inspire travelers from all over the world to explore new places and cultures." 

Brand USA will host the film's world premiere at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum on Thursday, February 15, with a second premiere held at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History on Friday, February 16. The second premiere will be co-hosted by Brand USA partner and DC's Official Destination Marketing Organization, Destination DC. Brand USA executives, filmmakers, and government officials will be in attendance to celebrate the premiere of the film.

The film will run from February 17 to 25 daily at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum's Lockheed Martin IMAX^® Theater in Washington, DC and at the Airbus IMAX^® Theater at the Steven F. Udvar Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia. The film will continue to run indefinitely at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History's Warner Bros. Theater. There will be festivities on behalf of the film held both domestically and in international markets such as Paris, France; Mexico City, Mexico; Tokyo, Japan; and Beijing, China to mark the opening of the film around the world. For a running list of all theaters showing America's Musical Journey (in the United States and internationally), please click here.

"Music expresses the richness of American culture, whose appeal makes the U.S. a popular destination for Canadian and international travelers alike," said Duncan Bureau, vice president, global sales at Air Canada. "As the largest foreign carrier serving the U.S., our partnership with Brand USA is of great importance to Air Canada, as we offer 240 flights a day to more than 55 U.S. airports, with seamless connections via Canada for travelers from 6 continents."

To discover more about America's rich musical culture and the diversity of experiences the USA has to offer, please visit Brand USA's consumer website VisitTheUSA.com and follow Visit The USA on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

www.AmericasMusicalJourney.com

About MacGillivray Freeman Films 
MacGillivray Freeman Films is the world's foremost independent producer and distributor of giant-screen 70mm films with 40 films for IMAX and giant-screen theatres to its credit. Throughout the company's 50-year history, its films have won numerous international awards including two Academy Award^® nominations and three films inducted into the IMAX Hall of Fame. MacGillivray Freeman's films are known for their artistry and celebration of science and the natural world. It is the first documentary film company to reach the one-billion-dollar benchmark for worldwide box office. For more information about the company, visit MacGillivrayFreemanFilms.com.

About Brand USA  
Brand USA, the destination marketing organization for the United States, was established by the Travel Promotion Act as the nation's first public-private partnership to promote the United States as a premier travel destination and to communicate U.S. entry/exit policies and procedures to worldwide travelers. The organization's mission is to increase international visitation to the USA in order to fuel the U.S. economy and enhance the image of the United States worldwide. Formed as the Corporation for Travel Promotion in 2010, the public-private entity began operations in May 2011 and does business as Brand USA. According to studies by Oxford Economics, over the past four years, Brand USA's marketing initiatives have helped welcome 4.3 million incremental visitors to the USA, benefiting the U.S. economy with nearly $30 billion in total economic impact, which has supported, on average, 51,000 incremental jobs a year. 

For industry or partner information about Brand USA, visit TheBrandUSA.com. For information about exceptional and unexpected travel experiences in the United States, please visit Brand USA's consumer website VisitTheUSA.com (global). 

About Expedia, Inc. 
Expedia, Inc. (NASDAQ: EXPE) is the world's largest online travel company, with an extensive brand portfolio that includes leading online travel brands, such as:

• Expedia.com®, a leading full-service online travel brand with localized sites in 33 countries
• Hotels.com®, a leading global lodging expert operating 90 localized websites in 41 languages with its award winning Hotels.com® Rewards loyalty program
• Expedia® Affiliate Network (EAN), a global B2B brand that powers the hotel business of hundreds of leading airlines, travel agencies, loyalty and corporate travel companies plus several top consumer brands through its API and template solutions
• trivago®, a leading online hotel search platform with sites in 55 countries worldwide
• HomeAway®, a global online marketplace for the vacation rental industry, which also includes the VRBO®, VacationRentals.com® and BedandBreakfast.com® brands, among others
• Egencia®, a leading corporate travel management company
• Orbitz® and CheapTickets®, leading U.S. travel websites, as well as ebookers®, a full-service travel brand with websites in seven European countries
• Travelocity®, a leading online travel brand in the U.S. and Canada, takes care of travelers by providing enjoyable travel through exceptional service, expert advice and guaranteed value for every trip, anytime, anywhere
• Hotwire®, a leading online travel site offering spontaneous travel through Hot Rate® deals
• Wotif Group, a leading portfolio of travel brands including Wotif.com®, Wotif.co.nz, lastminute.com.au®, lastminute.co.nz and travel.com.au®
• Expedia® Media Solutions, the advertising sales division of Expedia, Inc. that builds creative media partnerships and enables brand advertisers to target a highly-qualified audience of travel consumers
• CarRentals.com™, a premier online car rental booking company with localized sites in four countries
• Classic Vacations®, a top luxury travel specialist
• Expedia Local Expert®, a provider of online and in-market concierge services, activities, experiences and ground transportation in over a thousand destinations worldwide
• Expedia® CruiseShipCenters®, a provider of exceptional value and expert advice for travelers booking cruises and vacations through its network of over 250 retail travel agency franchises across North America
• SilverRail Technologies, Inc., provider of a global rail retail and distribution platform connecting rail carriers and suppliers to both online and offline travel distributors

For corporate and industry news and views, visit us at ExpediaInc.com or follow us on Twitter @ExpediaInc.

Trademarks and logos are the property of their respective owners.  © 2018 Expedia, Inc.  All rights reserved.  CST: 2029030-50

About Air Canada 
Air Canada is Canada's largest domestic and international airline serving more than 200 airports on six continents.  Canada's flag carrier is among the 20 largest airlines in the world and in 2017 served approximately 48 million customers.  Air Canada provides scheduled passenger service directly to 64 airports in Canada, 60 in the United States and 98 in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia, Australia, the Caribbean, Mexico, Central America and South America. Air Canada is a founding member of Star Alliance, the world's most comprehensive air transportation network serving 1,300 airports in 191 countries.  Air Canada is the only international network carrier in North America to receive a Four-Star ranking according to independent U.K. research firm Skytrax, which also named Air Canada the 2017 Best Airline in North America.  For more information, please visit: Aircanada.com, follow @AirCanada on Twitter, and join Air Canada on Facebook.

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SOURCE Brand USA