AOL MovieFone Announces Agreement With Imax Ltd.

AOL MovieFone, the nation's largest movie listing and ticketing service, announced today that it has signed an exclusive ticketing agreement with Imax Ltd. Under the agreement, AOL MovieFone will provide information and ticketing services for the IMAX(R) owned and operated theatres in North America through its AOL MovieFone (777-FILM) telephone service and its Moviefone.com web site. The agreement covers six IMAX theatres in New York, Miami, Sacramento, Tempe, Vancouver, and Calgary, which are currently playing the critically acclaimed new large-format Walt Disney Pictures' film, ""Fantasia 2000: The IMAX Experience,"" distributed by Buena Vista Pictures Distribution.With demand for tickets to ""Fantasia 2000: The IMAX Experience"" growing, AOL MovieFone's alliance with Imax makes it easier than ever for moviegoers to access IMAX movie information and tickets. The six owned and operated theaters covered by the agreement join six other IMAX theaters operated by Loews Cineplex Entertainment, Edwards Cinemas, and United Artists Theatres in New York, Los Angeles, Denver, San Francisco, Chicago, and Boston, for which AOL MovieFone and Moviefone.com already offer information and advance ticketing.The agreement also expands moviegoers' ability to get information and tickets for IMAX theaters through all AOL properties, including AOL, AOL.COM, Netscape, CompuServe, ICQ, Digital City, and Spinner.com, which according to Media Metrix collectively reach over 80% of the online audience. AOL members will have easy and direct access to IMAX theatres' film information and ticketing at AOL Keyword: IMAX, increasing Imax's online audience and usage.""Fantasia 2000 is off to an incredible start and theaters around the country are selling out many of the shows,"" said Imax co-CEOs Bradley J. Wechsler and Richard L. Gelfond. ""This agreement with AOL MovieFone will make it easier for consumers to buy tickets in advance for this special film and will enable us to give our patrons the most customer-friendly and convenient way to access our movie information, showtimes, and tickets. We are happy to expand our partnership with AOL to include AOL MovieFone.""""Imax is a great partner for AOL MovieFone because of its focus on meeting customers' needs. We've seen that moviegoers are increasingly moving away from traditional movie information sources and are demanding instant access to listings and tickets through the phone and the Web,"" said Andrew R. Jarecki, CEO of AOL MovieFone. ""We are delighted to work with theatre operators like Imax to help them use interactive technology to make the moviegoing experience better for their customers.""In addition to extending the number of IMAX theatres for which AOL MovieFone and Moviefone.com offer tickets, this agreement also extends the partnership announced last December between AOL and Imax, through which AOL became the exclusive title sponsor to Galapagos, Imax and the Smithsonian's ground-breaking new large-format 3-D documentation of an eight-week expedition to the islands and surrounding waters. The sponsorship includes education-targeted programming and broadband content on AOL at AOL Keyword: Galapagos. In addition, several elements of the film are now appearing in ""Internet Adventure,"" an Internet education and safety campaign that AOL and the Smithsonian are bringing to cities nationwide this winter.About Imax CorporationFounded in 1967, Imax Corporation (NASDAQ: IMAX; TSE:IMX) has consistently delivered the world's premiere cinematic experiences. There were more than 200 IMAX theatres in 25 countries as of September 30, 1999, with a backlog of more than 80 theatre systems expanding Imax's reach into 15 new countries during the next few years. More than 500 million people have seen an IMAX presentation since the medium premiered in 1970. In 1999, more than 70 million people worldwide visited an IMAX theatre. Imax has forged strategic alliances and relationships with some of the most prominent corporations in the world including The Walt Disney Company, Famous Players Inc. (a subsidiary of Viacom Inc.), America Online and Loews Cineplex Corp. In 1997, Imax was awarded an OscarÆ for Scientific and Technical Achievement by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.About AOL MovieFoneAOL MovieFone, Inc., through its MovieFone telephone service (e.g. 777-FILM) and Moviefone.com web site, is the largest movie listing guide and ticketing service in the country. Together, the services provide millions of moviegoers each week with a complete, free directory of movies, showtimes, theatre locations, the ability to purchase tickets in advance, and original movie content, news, and reviews. Acquired by America Online, Inc. (NYSE: AOL) in May 1999, AOL MovieFone is now a part of AOL's Interactive Properties Group.