FILM/SNEAK PEEK : IMAX TAKES YOU TO ALASKA.

Here in the Valley, we can pretty much kiss cool weather goodbye until, say, early 1998. That means a lot of hot, sunny days. And what better way to enjoy our climate than by ducking inside a dark, air-conditioned theater?

For a truly chilling experience, try ``Alaska: Spirit of the Wild'' at the 70mm IMAX theater at the nonprofit California Museum of Science and Industry downtown.

The film opens June 20. It's filled with sweeping scenes of snow-mantled Mount McKinley, immense ice fields, black-striped tidewater glaciers and skyscraper-sized icebergs. The movie provides a good science lesson for kids, too, especially in its scenes of the aurora borealis, a colorful night-sky phenomenon also known as the northern lights.

Director George Casey also explores Alaska's rich history and wildlife, including salmon, bears, wolves, bald eagles, caribou, whales, moose and birds.

Narration is supplied by newly appointed National Rifle Association vice president Charlton Heston.

Getting the footage was no easy thing. Says director Casey: ``I got so cold once, I thought I had hypothermia of the brain. All I could think about was survival.''

The California Museum of Science and Industry is at 700 State Drive, across from the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. IMAX theater tickets are $6.25 for adults; $4.75 for students 13 and older with a student identification card; $4.25 for seniors 60 and older; and $3.75 for children ages 4-12. Children under 4 are free.

For show times, call [phone].

Viva la LACMA 

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Cannes film festival, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art's film department presents a retrospective of Cannes winners, beginning June 16.

Films to be screened include ``A Man Escaped'' (Best Director winner, 1957); ``The Wages of Fear'' (Grand Prix/Best Director, 1953); ``Days of Heaven'' (Best Director, 1979); and ``Apocalypse Now'' (Palme d'Or, 1979).

For a complete listing with dates and times, call [phone].

Cannes connection

Not planning on a trip to Cannes any time soon? You can still see the Palme d'Or, the biggest prize of the film festival, without leaving L.A.

The statuette, along with the Cesar from the French Academy Awards, the Golden Lion from the Venice Film Festival and the Golden Bear from the Berlin Film Festival is on display at the Air France VIP lounge at the Los Angeles International Airport.

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Photo: Learn about polar bears and other animals in ``Alaska: Spirit of the Wild'' at the California Museum of Science and Industry.