Private company

MacGillivray Freeman Films

Logo: MacGillivray Freeman Films, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons3

American film production company

MacGillivray Freeman Films is an American film production company specializing in large-format, immersive, and educational cinematic experiences for global audiences. The company is led by Shaun MacGillivray, who serves as president, executive producer, and director. MacGillivray Freeman Films collaborates with a wide range of partners—including major brands, museums, tourism boards, non-profit organizations, NGOs, foundations, and associations—to produce films and media projects across a variety of scales and budgets.2 Wikipedia text CC BY-SA 4.0

Last updated Oct 21, 2026.

Overview

1963Founded1

MacGillivray Freeman Films is an American film production company specializing in large-format, immersive, and educational cinematic experiences for global audiences. The company is led by Shaun MacGillivray, who serves as president, executive producer, and director. MacGillivray Freeman Films collaborates with a wide range of partners—including major brands, museums, tourism boards, non-profit organizations, NGOs, foundations, and associations—to produce films and media projects across a variety of scales and budgets. In addition to filmmaking, the company develops and implements large-scale public outreach and educational initiatives designed to extend the impact of its work beyond the screen.2

The story

History

MacGillivray Freeman Films was established in 1963 in Laguna Beach, California, by Greg MacGillivray and Jim Freeman. Greg MacGillivray began making films when he was 13 and later partnered with his best friend, Jim Freeman, to form MacGillivray Freeman Films. In 1966, at the age of 19, the two dropped out of college to make movies full time starting with a film in South America after the success of one of their first surfing documentaries, Free and Easy, which recouped its production costs after only 10 screenings.

In the ensuing years, MacGillivray and Freeman produced a series of documentaries about surfing and skateboarding, pioneering a cinematic perspective for the genre by putting the viewer in the middle of the action via board-mounted cameras.

MacGillivray has produced and directed more than 50 films, 40 of which are IMAX, and has developed three IMAX cameras: a high-speed (slow-motion) model, a lightweight model and the “all-weather” camera he used while filming on Mt. Everest.

MacGillivray Freeman Films Educational Foundation

In 2004, Greg MacGillivray and his wife Barbara founded the non-profit MacGillivray Freeman Films Educational Foundation to contribute to the conservation of the world's natural and cultural heritage through giant screen films and companion educational programming.

From Wikipedia’s article on MacGillivray Freeman Films, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.4

Timeline

  1. 1963Founded Founded1

Funding

Where the company's money came from, by calendar year: private offerings filed with the SEC, federal grants, loans, contracts and other assistance from USAspending.gov, and PPP loans from the SBA. Each bar links to the records below.

Money received by year$1.3M 2020–2021
Money received by yearMoney received by year, 2020–2021: $1.3M in all. PPP loans $1.3M.$0$200K$400K$600K$800K2020 · PPP loans: $652.0K20202021 · PPP loans: $618.4K2021
Figures by year
YearPPP loansTotal
2021$618.4K$618.4K
2020$652.0K$652.0K

PPP loans

Paycheck Protection Program loans of $150,000 and up, approved April 2020 to July 2021, from the SBA5. Matched to this company by name and state.

  1. Apr 15, 2020$652.0K PPP loan (first draw) from JPMorgan Chase Bank, National Association5To MACGILLIVRAY FREEMAN FILMS, INC, Laguna Beach CA; $656.1K forgiven Dec 9, 2020
  2. Feb 6, 2021$618.4K PPP loan (second draw) from JPMorgan Chase Bank, National Association5To MACGILLIVRAY FREEMAN FILMS INC, Laguna Beach CA; $624.1K forgiven Jan 13, 2022