IMAX

Arts & Entertainment abbreviation · Film, Television and Theater

IMAX
Stands forImage Maximum
CategoriesArts & Entertainment

IMAX stands for Image Maximum, a film, television and theater abbreviation.

Large-format film and projection system using very large screens, high-resolution cameras and powerful sound. IMAX releases include films shot on IMAX cameras and conventional films remastered for the format.

Example: The director shot the battle scenes with IMAX cameras for the biggest screens.

Usage notes

Developed in Canada; the first IMAX film was shown at Expo '70 in Osaka, Japan. The original 15/70 format runs 70 mm film horizontally, with each frame 15 perforations wide. Christopher Nolan's films, such as Oppenheimer (2023), helped revive demand for IMAX film prints.

More film, television and theater abbreviations

  • EP – Executive producer
  • EXT. – Exterior
  • FAST – Free ad-supported streaming television
  • FPS – Frames per second
  • G – General Audiences
  • HFPA – Hollywood Foreign Press Association
  • INT. – Interior
  • LD – Lighting designer
  • MCU – Marvel Cinematic Universe
  • MPA – Motion Picture Association
  • MPAA – Motion Picture Association of America
  • MS – Medium shot

See all 63 film, television and theater abbreviations →

Edited by the AbbreviationList.com team. Spotted an error or a missing meaning? Contact us.