World's biggest movie screen that is 29.7m high and 35.7m wide lifted into position at Sydney Imax Theatre

The world's biggest movie screen ... The 800kg screen is hoisted into position at iMax Theatre Darling Harbour. Picture: Brad Hunter Source: The Daily Telegraph

The Daily Telegraph reports

From a distance it looks like a giant bed sheet, but this huge piece of vinyl is actually the world's biggest movie screen.

It took 20 riggers to lift the 800kg screen into position at Sydney Imax Theatre yesterday.

At 29.7m high and 35.7m wide it will be the largest screen anywhere, holding its mantle ahead of Melbourne's Imax.

After being hoisted into place the screen will be painted with four coats of "high gain" silver paint weighing 350kgs.

The $250,000 screen and its special paint were imported from Canada, Imax chief executive officer Mark Bretherton said.

"It really will be a silver screen in the classic sense," Mr Bretherton said. "Its reflective paint that all 3D screens require to reflect enough light back.

"You'll notice when you put on 3D glasses that they are quite a lot darker, so the screen needs to be extra bright."

The brighter screen will allow the cinema to show 3D films at full size for the first time, he said.

"We've always had to project 3D films slightly smaller so they are bright enough so the 3D picture has never filled the screen like 2D films."