Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations Supplemental Information (Details) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended	6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2011	Jun. 30, 2010	Jun. 30, 2011	Jun. 30, 2010
Selling Expenses
Deferred direct selling cost	$ 0.1	$ 0.4	$ 0.8	$ 0.6
Film exploitation costs, including advertising and marketing	2.1	0.4	2.8	1.1
Commissions recognized as cost and expenses	0.7	0.4	0.9	0.8
Direct advertising and marketing costs related to theater	1.1	0.2	1.4	0.4
Foreign Exchange
Foreign exchange translation gains (losses) related to monetary assets and liabilities and un hedged foreign exchange contracts	0.1	(0.9)	0.7	(0.6)
Collaborative Arrangements
Non-cancellable joint revenue sharing arrangements	7 to 10 years		7 to 10 years
Total number of exhibitors under joint revenue sharing agreements	17		17
Total number of theater systems under joint revenue sharing agreements	332		332
Total number of operating theaters under joint revenue sharing agreement	204		204
Amounts attributable to transactions arising between the company and its customers under joint revenue sharing arrangements	8.3	8.5	12.4	27.4
Percentage of the gross box-office receipts of the film, minimum for recovering digital re-mastering cost	10.00%		10.00%
Percentage of the gross box-office receipts of the film, maximum for recovering digital re-mastering cost	15.00%		15.00%
IMAX DMR Films exhibited In the Current Period			9
Number of films to be exhibited in the Remainder of the current year			10
Amounts attributable to transactions arising between the company and its customers under IMAX DMR arrangements	12.4	14.5	19.7	38.0
Number of significant co-produced film arrangement	1		1
Share in total assets and liabilities balance in co-produced film arrangement	greater than 50%		greater than 50%
Total assets and liabilities of VIE	12.7		12.7
Number of other co-produced film arrangements	3		3
Amounts attributable to transactions between the company and other parties included in cost and expense	$ 2.5	$ 2.1	$ 3.5	$ 3.7

Collaborative Arrangements.

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Disclosure of commissions recognized as costs and expenses applicable to revenue-rentals in the current period.

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Disclosure of amounts attributable to transactions arising between the Company and other parties involved in the production of the films included in costs and expenses applicable to revenues-services.

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Disclosure of direct advertising and marketing costs for each theater that are charged to costs and expenses applicable to revenues-rentals as incurred.

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Disclosure of film exploitation costs, including advertising and marketing, included in the income statement.

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Disclosure of the maximum percentage of a film's gross box-office receipts used to recoup the Company's costs for the digital re-mastering of such film.

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Disclosure of the minimum percentage of a film's gross box-office receipts used to recoup the Company's costs for the digital re-mastering of such film. Disclosure of the minimum percentage of a film's gross box-office receipts used to recoup the Company's costs for the digital re-mastering of such film.

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Disclosure of the number of theaters that have been contracted for by exhibitors under joint revenue sharing agreements with the Company.

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The significant co-produced arrangement's share of the carrying amount of the assets in the reporting entity's statement of financial position that relate to the reporting entity's variable interest in the Variable Interest Entity (VIE).

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The aggregate foreign currency transaction gain (loss) (both realized and unrealized) included in determining net income for the reporting period. Excludes foreign currency transactions designated as hedges of net investment in a foreign entity and intercompany foreign currency transactions that are of a long-term nature, when the entities to the transaction are consolidated, combined, or accounted for by the equity method in the reporting enterprise's financial statements. For certain enterprises, primarily banks, that are dealers in foreign exchange, foreign currency transaction gains (losses) may be disclosed as dealer gains (losses).

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 830
-SubTopic 20
-Section 45
-Paragraph 1
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6450189&loc=d3e30690-110894

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Primarily represents commissions incurred in the period based upon the sale by commissioned employees or third parties of the entity's goods or services, and fees for sales assistance or product enhancements performed by third parties (such as a distributor or value added reseller).

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The carrying amount of the assets in the reporting entity's statement of financial position that relate to the reporting entity's variable interest in the Variable Interest Entity (VIE).

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