Washington D.C. - The Government of Mexico, through the Mexico Tourism Board and the Embassy of Mexico hosted the world premiere of "Flight of the Butterflies" Monday evening at Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C.

More than 400 guests, in the presence of Mexican President Felipe Calderon, gathered for the IMAX 3D screening which tells the story of the Monarch Butterfly – one of the great natural mysteries of the world.

Produced by SK Films, a Canadian production company, and supported by the National Science Foundation, "Flight of the Butterflies" chronicles the true story of an intrepid scientist's 40-year search to find Monarch butterflies' secret hideaway while overwintering in Mexico.

The award-winning production team, including executive producer Jonathan Barker and Oscar winner Peter Parks, captures the year-long migration cycle of hundreds of millions of Monarch butterflies, from Canada, through the United States, to remote 10,000-foot-high peaks in the Sierra Madre Mountains of Mexico – and back – through generations.

The film also represents a strong partnership amongst the US, Canada, and Mexico to tell the untold story of Dr. and Mrs. Fred Urquhart and share the natural phenomenon of a tiny creature's epic migration with viewers across the world.

Since 2006 President Felipe Calderon has distinguished himself as a world leader in sustainability, living out his personal mandate to preserve the natural wonders of Mexico. A native of Morelia, Michoacan who grew up near the butterfly sanctuaries, President Calderon said, "We must remain committed to the conversation of these fragile creatures and their threatened habitats."

In 2008 UNESCO declared the Monarch butterfly reserve in Mexico a World Heritage Site. While the WWF classified the Monarch as a "near threatened" species, the Mexican government and leading conservations organizations such as FMCN (Fondo Mexicano para la Conservacion de la Naturalez, A.C.) will continue to enforce measures to preserve the butterflies and their sanctuaries.

SECTUR, Mexico's federal Ministry of Tourism, Mexico Tourism Board, the state of Michoacan and the state of the Mexico, as well as governmental and international environmental institutions sponsored the film.