Global Science Film Festival

Global Science Film Festival, November 2024

The 6th edition of the Global Science Film Festival takes place simultaneously in Zurich, Basel, Bern and Lugano from 8 to 10 November 2024. The festival program includes film screenings, debates with filmmakers, scientists and the audience, and the awarding of the «Walking Ibex» film prizes. With the festival the Swiss Science Film Academy offers a platform where researchers and society can meet, connect and discuss current challenges in science and society, as well as exchange ideas on possible solutions.

A wide range of scientific topics is addressed at the festival. Works that address aspects of the natural sciences, humanities and social sciences that affect our society today, such as health, climate, environment, new technologies and social change, can be submitted for the competition.

Short films produced by Swiss researchers will be screened and nominated in the special category «SCIENTISTS-AS-FILMMAKERS». The other categories are full-length documentaries and fiction films, as well as short films. A jury composed of film experts and representatives from academia awards the prizes.

The shortest distance between science and society is cinema

Today, more than ever, society relies on scientists to address the concerns of humanity and advise those in authority. Especially in today’s world, we see the need to promote trustworthy and fruitful communication of scientific content to the general public. Our goal is to establish and expand the Global Science Film Festival as a platform for exchange between science and society in Switzerland. The festival aims to contribute to a better understanding between scientists, film-makers and citizens.

Film is an excellent medium for communicating scientific approaches and findings to a wider audience. Furthermore, our film festival offers the opportunity to experience scientific topics in films. The Global Science Film Festival offers space for encounters and dialogues: filmmakers, researchers and viewers sit together in a cinema and watch and debate films. In the process, the importance of science for our society is highlighted and the gap between research and society is narrowed.

The festival is organized by the Swiss Science Film Academy in partnership with Life Science Zurich (ETH Zurich and University of Zurich), Graduate Center University of Basel, University of Bern, Franklin University in Lugano, Bernet Relations, WSL, and EAWAG.

Join us in realizing the Global Science Film Festival 2024

After the first five successful editions of the Global Science Film Festival, we want to make the festival accessible to a larger audience. Therefore, we plan to expand even more. For the first time, the festival is taking place simultaneously in four cities: Zurich, Bern, Basel and Lugano.

With your support we can invite more researchers and film professionals as well as school classes to the festival, organize more side events such as discussion panels. Your contributions will allow us to invite all participating film-makers, scientists and the audience to an apéro after the film screenings. This will allow us to further promote and strengthen the exchange between science and society.

With your support we also plan to make the festival become better known. Your support will allow us to realize more communication measures, such as advertisements, printing of flyers and posters.

Our aim is to establish the Film Festival as a regular, annual event in the four cities. The festival shall develop into an event where the audience is inspired by films and their enthusiasm for science is awakened.