The 17th Annual Science New Wave Festival will take place mid-October 2024 in New York.
Our goal is to celebrate films where scientific pursuit is free to co-exist and blend freely across disciplines and cultures. From documentary to fiction to data, we hope to always challenge the way you understand, interpret and appreciate scientific ideas and perspectives edition.
2024 SUBMISSIONS OPEEN ON FEB 1 & CLOSED ON AUG 15, 2024
Our Science New Wave XVII lineup will be announced in September 2024.
All film entries automatically receive a film page on our sister platform LABOCINE for future consideration in our year-long programming. This is regardless of selection decision. As part of the submission process, we encourage everyone to join Labocine's HABITAT, an ecosystem and networking tool for scientists, artists & educators on our sister. To join, head over to labocine.com/habitat.com
SYMBIOSIS INITIATIVE
[Visit https://www.imaginesciencefilms.org/symbiosis for more information on how to apply]
Presented by the Simons Foundation, Symbiosis is an initiative in which scientists & filmmakers are paired every year at the annual festival to create new forms of science cinema.
SCIENCE NEW WAVE FUND
[Visit https://www.imaginesciencefilms.org/snw-fund for more information on how to apply]
We will be providing up grants ranging from $2,500 to $25,000 for projects of all shapes and sizes that demonstrate a singular vision in how scientific thought is brought into cinematic narratives.
These funds can be applied for development, production and post-production.
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ABOUT IMAGINE SCIENCE FILMS
Propelled by a movement led by working scientists in 2008 to broaden how science is depicted in media, Imagine Science Films (ISF) is committed to promoting a high-level dialogue between scientists and filmmakers.
But not only through the usual channels -- where many other science film outlets focus on classic television-style documentary or science fiction, ISF radically expands the conversation and reaches diverse audiences through a blend of inventive documentaries, thought-provoking scientific fiction, data and visualizations straight from the labs, and stunning experimental film. The resulting hybrid programming defies preconceived notions and provides a unique forum for new ideas and interdisciplinary collaboration, as well as some of the finest filmmaking in the world. The festival also actively cultivates forward-thinking scientific cinema through annual Symbiosis competitions challenging scientists and filmmakers to work together to create groundbreaking new work.
The festival takes places at science and art venues around New York. This year, we will be partnering with these same organizations but we will be putting a spotlight our feature and shorts programming to serve an audience thirsty for compelling and accurate scientific storytelling.
SCIENCE NEW WAVE LUMINARY AWARDS
Every year, the Science New Wave selects sixty four films and showcases them at the New York-based Science New Wave Festival. These works propose a visionary look on how to bring science into film.
The 64 films have been completed in the last year and selected by our programming team. They vary widely in form, content, and length. The number 64 corresponds to the 64 possible nucleotide triplets (four possible nucleotides - A, T/U, C, G - in groups of 3) of the Genetic code. Each of these selected films will receive a Science New Wave Certificate.
Our films are eligible for several awards and cash prizes listed below. These awards are voted by our Science New Wave Luminary Members.
≈ The Science New Wave Award goes to a film in competition that demonstrates a bold and inventive approach to scientific storytelling. Its affinity with the Science New Wave is gauged by how much it expresses the 6 traits of the Science New Wave manifesto.
≈ The Theme-Sensitive Award recognizes a film that brings this year's festival theme: (art)ficial to the screen in singular fashion.
≈ The In Vivo Award goes to a film that paints a daring yet realistic portrait of a scientist and/or other non-human organism.
≈ The Avant-Garde Award celebrates the film that best expresses hybrid aesthetics and experimentation.
The Symbiosis Award is given every year for the Symbiosis scientist/filmmaker competition.
This is the only award that is decided by its own Symbiosis Jury.
The Symbiosis Award is awarded to the film made in this year's Symbiosis competition that best embraces the idea of collaboration, scientific storytelling, and originality. It is given every year for the Symbiosis scientist / filmmaker competition by Science Sandbox.
HONORABLE MENTIONS: Every year, we pay tribute to some noteworthy films, that we feel are particularly timely.
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The Science New Wave Awards, presented at our annual festival, are voted by our Science New Wave Luminary Members.
These pioneering SNW Luminary Members include scientists, artists, filmmakers, journalists, researchers, and hybrids of all types from around the world who have inspired us in their approaches to scientific storytelling. Their vision has shaped the very birth of the Science New Wave Manifesto. They are the key players of a growing ecosystem and propel its ongoing evolution forward. They play a decisive role in highlighting the latest crop of bold science cinema.
Learn more at sciencenewwave.com/luminaries
