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While out digging in the badlands of North Dakota, Jessin Fisher and Tyler Lyson spotted something remarkable- the tooth of a juvenile T. rex. With cameras rolling, Jessin, his brother Liam, cousin Kaiden Madsen, and Tyler uncovered its tibia and lower jaw, the beginning of an exciting discovery in the Hell Creek formation.

"T.REX", a film by Giant Screen Films, follows the boys’ dinosaur excavation, traces T. rex’s life history, and explains insights gained from new fossils and the new tools used to understand them.

Following the film screening, be a part of the conversation with T.REX film producer Andy Wood, expedition leader Tyler Lyson, and paleontologist and lead adviser for the film Tom Holtz, with special appearances by young dino-hunters Liam and Jessin Fisher and Kaiden Madsen. They’ll chat about the inspiring story behind the discovery, the making of the film, what’s going on at the dig site today, and more.

Stay after to chat with paleontologists, other experts, and stop in the bookstore to grab a copy of the film’s companion graphic novel. Ted Rechlin, author of the film's companion graphic novel, will be available to sign books.

Program begins at 6:30 p.m. Doors open at 6:00 p.m. Please enter at the Constitution Ave side of the museum. Registration is free and encouraged; seats are filled at a first come first served basis.

Photo courtesy of Giant Screen Films

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About the film:

From the team behind the NSF-supported prehistoric hits "Dinosaurs Alive," "Titans of the Ice Age," and "Dinosaurs of Antarctica" comes the planet’s most famous dinosaur — the hit-maker, the headliner, the apex attraction — TYRANNOSAURUS REX.

For over a hundred years dinosaurs have inspired and thrilled audiences, commanding blockbuster status in museums and at the box office. But among them towers a king — a tyrant lizard king. With leaps in CGI wizardry and revolutions in tyrannosaur paleontology over the past twenty-five years, the time has come to revisit rex in the world’s prestigious museum cinemas.

Working with top tyrannosaur scientists, a coalition of natural history institutions, and pioneering paleo and visual effects artists, GSF’s original giant screen production on this iconic dinosaur — and its carnivorous Cretaceous cousins — aims to be the most dazzling and accurate T. rex documentary ever made.

With hat tips to famous specimens, landmark discoveries, and wild cinematic depictions over the last century, the film explores the interplay between speculation and evidence, and reveals how the process of science refreshes and reimagines our understanding of this legendary dinosaur.

Bios:

Jessin Fisher

Jessin Fisher just finished 6th grade. Jessin enjoys reading about, and doing anything that involves Paleontology. He is an aspiring paleontologist and has dreams of working for Dr. Tyler Lyson when he is old enough.

Liam Fisher

Liam Fisher just finished the 3rd grade. He likes to play his ukulele and guitar. Liam enjoys hiking and looking for dinosaurs. He also plans to go into paleontology.

Tom Holtz

Thomas R. Holtz Jr. is principal lecturer in vertebrate paleontology at the Department of Geology, University of Maryland, College Park. His research focuses on the origin, evolution, adaptations and behavior of carnivorous dinosaurs, and especially of tyrannosauroids (Tyrannosaurus rex and its kin). He received his bachelor's degree in Earth and planetary geology at Johns Hopkins University and his Ph.D. from the Department of Geology & Geophysics at Yale University. Tom was the lead adviser for the T.REX film.

Tyler Lyson

Tyler Lyson is a vertebrate paleontologist who studies the extinction of the dinosaurs, the rise of placental mammals and the evolutionary origin of various reptiles, particularly turtles. He combines developmental, genetic and fossil data with high-resolution chronostratigraphic data to address his research questions. Tyler has conducted fieldwork throughout the American West and has active field sites in North Dakota, Montana and Colorado. Tyler was born in North Dakota and has been doing paleontology fieldwork since he was in middle school. Tyler received his BA from Swarthmore College and his PhD from Yale University. Tyler joined the Museum in 2014 after a postdoctoral position at the Smithsonian Institution.

Kaiden Madsen

Kaiden Madsen just finished 5th grade. He likes to draw and he wants to be a ranch hand when he grows up.

Andy Wood

Since joining Giant Screen Films in 2006, Andy’s role has encompassed film production, international distribution, strategic planning, new ventures and business development – including the launch and executive management of GSF’s sister company, D3D Cinema. Prior to joining the company, Andy served as Director of Business Operations & Theaters at The Franklin Institute in Philadelphia for seven years, where he oversaw IMAX and planetarium programming as well as revenue-generating museum operations. He is passionate about natural history and documentary film, with degrees in film production and field zoology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. His board appointments have included the Giant Screen Cinema Association and the Jackson Hole Wildlife Film Festival.