The SFFILM Festival – also known as the San Francisco International Film Festival – kicks off this coming Thursday, April 17.
full lineup
It was revealed on Wednesday that the festival has shared its lineup for the Sloan Science in Cinema Initiative as part of their yearly custom during this event.
Presented in collaboration between the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation and SFFILM, the lineup features Cyprien Vial’s volcano thriller “Magma,” which received the Sloan Science on Screen Award along with a monetary prize of $5,000, as well as Cristina Constantini’s documentary “
Sally
, which has been chosen as part of the Sloan Science on Screen series. The film \’Sally\’ made its initial debut at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival.
A public-accessible festival discussion will see director Lee Isaac Chung receiving the Sloan Science in Cinema Prize for his film from the previous year, \”
Twisters,
followed by an onstage discussion about blending scientific concepts with filmmaking techniques to portray severe weather conditions. In July 2024, there was a slight stir regarding the approach taken.
The film \’Twisters\’ does not actually include discussions about climate change.
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\”I just don\’t feel like films are meant to be message-oriented,\” Chung said. \”I think what we are doing is showing the reality of what\’s happening on the ground. We don\’t shy away from saying that things are changing.\”
Lee Isaac Chung, known for his work in \”Minari\” and \”The Mandalorian,\” will share the stage with Kevin Kelleher, the director of the Global Systems Laboratory. With over 26 years at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Kelleher also acted as a technical advisor for both \”Twister\” (1996) and \”Twisters\” (2024). Joining them will be Tapio Schneider, an environmental science and engineering professor from Caltech’s Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, along with Al Nelson, the supervising sound editor and sound designer whose credits include projects like \”Jurassic World\” and \”Top Gun: Maverick.\” Rounding out the panel is Florian Witzel, ILM’s visual effects supervisor recognized for contributions to works such as \”Avengers\” and \”The Mandalorian.\” The film \”Twisters\” has been awarded a $20,000 cash prize.
\”We\’re delighted to present this year’s Sloan Science in Cinema Prize to Lee Isaac Chung\’s acclaimed movie \’Twisters’ and the Sloan Science on Screen Award to Cyprien Vial\’s compelling film \’Magma,’\” stated Doron Weber, who serves as the vice president and program director for the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. \”Although both of these disaster movies take certain creative freedoms with their portrayal of science, they prominently feature believable scientist characters and draw from recent scientific advancements. These selections will be incorporated into our national initiative which has backed more than 850 science-related film endeavors involving 20 collaborators. Beyond fostering screenplay development through partnerships like those with SFFILM, we have also celebrated notable works including \’Oppenheimer\’, \’Don’t Look Up’, and \’Hidden Figures.’”
The SFFILM Sloan Science in Cinema Initiative includes two extensive screenwriting grant programs. These are the SFFILM Sloan Science in Cinema Fellowship and the SFFILM Sloan Stories of Science Development Fund, which allow SFFILM to supply further support to filmmakers across various phases from development through to production.
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