Running during National Science Week, the SCINEMA International Film Festival gives you the opportunity to view this year’s winning submissions.
Some 1,300 films were submitted from 80 countries this year, from which six were selected as winners. Filmmakers were tasked with communicating scientific stories to the public, presenting their work in formats including short stories, documentaries and stop motion.
Below is a list of this year’s winners – they will be on show at the film festival. To see them in full, visit click here for tickets.
Best Film – Maratus by Simon Cunich (Australia)
The story of how a garbage collector’s photograph of an unknown colourful spider sparked a massive hunt for the mystery arachnid, changing his life in the process.
Best Short Film – The Amazing Life Cycle of the European Eel by Sofia Castello y Tickell (UK)
The critically endangered European eel is a wonder of nature, undergoing a complex lifecycle that even today is still a mystery. Find out more about how these slithery creatures reproduce in this stop-motion short film.
Best Documentary – Hilleman – A Perilous Quest to Save the World’s Children by Donald Mitchell (US)
This documentary explores the work of Maurice Hillman, one of the greatest scientists of all time but few people know about. Hillman developed more than half of the vaccines given to children today, changing the face of modern medicine.
Best Experimental/Animated Film – Metamorphosis of Plants by Urszula Zajączkowska (Poland)
Capturing the life of plants that we do not normally see, Zajączkowska imitates the actions of plants to portray their hidden lives. A culmination of two years of filming, the film is a unique take on scientific filmography.
Award for Technical Merit – Corpus by Marc Héricher (France)
A look at the complex reactions that occur to bring organs to life. These reactions lead to an act of creation, but can this creation be produced by a machine?
Award for Scientific Merit – Wonders of Life – Size Matters by Paul Olding (UK)
Featuring scientific superstar Brian Cox, Wonders of Life – Size Matters explores how your size affects what forces of nature influence your life.
Originally published by Cosmos as Film festival: the best of scientific filmmaking
Jake Port
Jake Port contributes to the Cosmos explainer series.
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