Last updated June 5, 2020 at 5:22 pm
SCINEMA 2020 is kicking off, and they want your science film. Plus a new category will celebrate the voices and stories of Indigenous and First Nations people.
Why This Matters: The largest science film festival in the southern hemisphere is cranking it up another notch.
The largest science film festival in the southern hemisphere, SCINEMA International Film Festival, has officially opened entries for 2020. And this year they’ve established an award for the best Indigenous or First Nations film.
SCINEMA showcases the best science films from filmmakers around the world. This year, over 100,000 people saw SCINEMA at gala showcases, community screenings during National Science Week, and online on Australia’s Science Channel.
Also: Getting science into Australia’s culture
But joining the usual film festival staples such as Best Film, Best Director, and Experimental/Animations, is a new Indigenous/First Nations Award. The new category aims to advocate and celebrate the scientific endeavours, stories and voices of Indigenous people.
This category includes films that are crafted, filmed, written or produced by First Nations people and those that feature Indigenous science. Science is for everyone, and highlighting the stories of Indigenous and First Nations people is vitally important to understanding humanity’s place in the universe.
Other new categories include SCINEMA Junior for filmmakers 17 years and younger, and an Online Content Award for films developed for social media. There is also a Social Impact award, for films which inspire compassion or social transformation about current or pressing issues that define our time.
From feature film debuts to the latest shorts and documentaries covering the important scientific issues of our time, SCINEMA International Science Film Festival invites all filmmakers to submit their films now for 2020.
Head to FilmFreeway for full eligibility criteria and submission details.