By Molly Pipe, Deputy News Editor
The festival has been a part of the city’s cultural calendar for six years.
Submissions are open for filmmakers to submit their entries to this year's Bristol Science Film Festival. The festival, which encourages science communicators to showcase their discoveries, will be screening shortlisted films from 1 September before announcing the 2021 winners.
This will be the sixth year for the event, which was founded by Bristol graduate Robbie Freedom and is co-run by Bristol PhD student Katherine MacInnes.
It is not yet clear whether the festival will be virtual or in-person, but the organisers hope to screen the shortlisted films in Millennium Square.
Making a short film about the environment? Why not submit it to the Bristol Science Film Festival 2021? We're awarding £150 to the winner and £50 to the runner up of our new Cabot Institute for the Environment film prize! Deadline: 1 May.https://t.co/oMY1ntZAVH@brisscifilm pic.twitter.com/DpDCv6Orij
— Cabot Institute for the Environment🏳️🌈✊🏿✊🏾✊🏽 (@cabotinstitute) February 15, 2021
A new health-related prize has been introduced for the 2021 festival to honour 200 years since the birth of the pioneering doctor and Bristolian Elizabeth Blackwell. The University, which named its health research institute after Blackwell, will be supporting this category with a £150 prize for the winner and £50 for the runner-up.
The Cabot Institute will also be funding a new prize for films about the environment.
Welcome to Bristol's film scene!
Submissions are open to both amateurs and professionals, and can cover either science fiction or factual science. Films must be under ten minutes in length, and can be submitted until 1 May 2021.
University of Bristol PhD biochemistry student, Katherine MacInnes who co-runs the festival alongside Robbie, said: ‘Films represent a really powerful way to tell a story or help communicate some of science’s amazing discoveries and breakthroughs. With the increasing prevalence of mini-movie-making machines (smartphones), we think film is a great and accessible form of science communication.
‘If you think you have an idea or story that could translate into a short film then we would love to hear from you!’
More information on submissions can be found here.
Featured: Bristol Science Film Festival poster | Hannah Lacey
Do you have plans to submit a film?
