The San Francisco International Film Festival’s Sloan Science in Cinema Initiative will bestow a $20,000 prize upon Lee Isaac Chung\’s film \”Twisters\” as well as grant a $5,000 honor to Cyprien Vial\’s work titled \”Magma.\”
Chung will be attending the SFFILM Festival from April 20th onwards to accept the prestigious Sloan Science in Cinema Prize and join a discussion on cinema and severe weather conditions. Joining Chung will be Kevin Kelleher, who directs the Global Systems Laboratory and served as a consultant for both the classic 1996 movie \”Twister\” and its sequel \”Twisters.\” Also participating will be Tapio Schneider, an esteemed professor specializing in environmental science and engineering at Caltech’s Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences; Al Nelson, known for his work as a supervising sound editor and sound designer on \”Twisters\”; and Florian Witzel, an accomplished visual effects supervisor with Industrial Light and Magic.
Vial is scheduled to be honored with the Sloan Science on Screen Award on April 21 for his work titled \”Magma.\” This piece makes its global debut during the festival. During this event, Vial will engage in a conversation about the film with Michael Manga, who holds a position as a professor in the Department of Earth and Planetary Science at the University of California, Berkeley.
\”We are thrilled to award this year\’s Sloan Science in Cinema Prize to Lee Isaac Chung\’s hit film ‘Twisters\’ and this year\’s Sloan Science on Screen Award to Cyprien Vial\’s thought-provoking film ‘Magma,\’\” Doron Weber, vice president and program director at the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, which co-presents the awards, said in a statement. \”While taking some liberties with the science, these two disaster films feature credible scientists as major protagonists and are based on the latest scientific research.\”
The program also includes the documentary \”Sally\” by Cristina Costantini as the Sloan Science on Screen Selection. Costantini and producer Alfie Koetter will be present for a Q&A on April 20.
This year’s lineup of Sloan-supported projects showcases an array of narratives that delve into the convergence between scientific accomplishments and human life experiences. In a press release, Jessie Fairbanks, who directs programming at SFFILM, stated: “We’re thrilled to share this relevant and impactful collection of movies alongside our collaborators.” The films cover everything from significant obstacles to individual victories, examining intricate scientific topics while also providing new perspectives on what it means to be human emotionally.
More from Velvet Voque
- \’Director of \”A Brief History of Chasing Storms\” Discusses \”Twister\” Tornado Mania, Climate Change: \”How Should We Get Ready for This Kind of Future?\”\’
- Sloan Science in Cinema Fellows Chosen for Film Project Development (Exclusive)