We are pleased to announce that Tahiti was the production team’s first choice among other desirable island finalists, including Australia, Bali and Hawaii!

Suzuki and Quicksilver are the main sponsors of the film. Tahiti Tourisme is a co-sponsor for this project in cooperation with the government of French Polynesia as well as the Tahiti Film office. In addition to  the film itself, there will be tremendous cross promotional opportunities in retail locations of both primary sponsors.

The 45-minute, 3D - IMAX film, titled “The Ultimate Wave” will feature renowned eight-time world champion surfer Kelly Slater surfing Tahiti’s famed Teahupo’o. The film is set to be released in October 2009 in the United States and thereafter in some of the largest movie theaters around the world.

In addition to the Legendary Waves of Teahupo’o and the surfing experience, the content of the film will also be used as a means to highlight and promote our islands’ unique offerings including our people, culture, history and environment, to name a few.

Tahiti Tourisme has been working closely with K2 Communications, producers and distributors of the film, as well as director Stephen Low and the Stephen Low Company on the project.

The movie is currently designed to visually expose Tahiti Nui, Tahiti Iti, Moorea, Bora Bora, Tetiaroa, Rangiroa as well as Fakarava in one of the most advanced technical formats available on screen. It will be entirely shot with a 3D - IMAX camera, the only one in the world, and will be projected on screens that are up to eight stories high with a slight curvature, allowing viewers to feel “right in the action.”

As you can imagine the entire team is thrilled to be part of this project, presenting an ideal promotion tool for our destination.

Tahiti Tourisme North America's, Al Keahi, comments: “An IMAX film in 3D is the perfect vehicle to showcase how spectacular our beautiful islands are. IMAX movie goers all around the world including the US, Europe and Asia, to name a few, will get to experience the beauty of Tahiti up close and personal with this film.”

On average, IMAX films are run in IMAX theaters, museums and other attraction theaters for at least six months to one year. Several of the IMAX films created by this producer, Stephen Low, have been in theaters for over a decade. In addition, the advertising and promotion of the film will serve to educate and inform target audiences in key markets allowing the brand of Tahiti to remain "top of mind."

Besides initial theater distribution, the movie will also be available on DVD, global television in 38 countries, pay-per-view programs on cable/VOD (video on demand), and will be made available to airlines, hotels and cruise ships.

Over the last few weeks, the production team and our Director of Communications, Jonathan Reap, have been scouting the islands of Tahiti (both Tahiti Nui and Tahiti Iti), Bora Bora, Moorea, Tetiaroa, Tupai and Rangiroa. The overview of Tahiti's diversity from high islands to atolls has astounded the director and his team.

The director has commented on the sheer beauty of aerials from Bora Bora and Tupai, the interior of Tahiti Nui (especially the caldera), the rough southern coast of Tahiti Iti referred to as te pari and the amazing diving in Rangiroa. The director was adamant about including the history, dance, music and cultural beauty of Tahitian life in the film as well.

The shooting began on August 15th and will run all the way through mid-September.

We have included a few images from the scout featuring Tupai, Bora Bora's Mount Otemanu and  the team in action.