“It was only the enormous success of (James Cameron’s) Avatar in IMAX 3D that finally silenced the doubters, and now a great many major features play in our theatres. All this took many years.”
Along with Cameron, Christopher Nolan has shot many of his films in IMAX to much success – 2023’s Oppenheimer, largely filmed with IMAX cameras, was a global box office hit and won the Best Picture Oscar. His upcoming film, 2026’s Odyssey, will be the first feature film shot entirely with IMAX cameras.
Ferguson’s formative years at U of T
Ferguson studied political science and economics at U of T’s Victoria College from 1948 to 1952 where he took classes with influential thought leaders such as Harold Innis and Northrop Frye. He also spent a memorable evening conversing with Canadian philosopher Marshall McLuhan about media and communication theory. This rich experience at U of T all contributed to his future success, according to his son.
“For somebody in his position as an inventor of a new media, my father was extremely self-aware. He had the theoretical understanding of what he was doing with the founding of IMAX courtesy of his University of Toronto training,” says Munro.
Ferguson was also part of U of T’s Film Society and received an Honorary Doctorate of Sacred Letters in 1999 from Victoria College.
Before his passing in 2021, Ferguson chose Media Commons Archives as the place to donate his materials because of the impact U of T had on his life and career.
“He took his intellectual training that he got as an undergrad and went out in the world and used it to make stuff, to make films, to make a company, provided employment for hundreds of people in an industry that’s still extremely important today,” says Munro.
A lasting impact on the U of T community and beyond
Media Commons Archives, a department of the U of T Libraries, preserves Canadian history and culture and is home to one of the country’s largest media collections. The Graeme Ferguson fonds – the complete set of records and materials from his filmmaking career – will further enrich the expansive collection and is available for viewing by staff, students, faculty, alumni and members of the public.
