We Are Ready: Everything You Need to Know About the 2025 Sloan Film Summit and How to Watch It Live
Think science and film don’t mix? Think again. Introducing the 2025 Sloan Film Summit: Alfred P. Sloan Foundation and Film Independent’s triennial, weekend-long celebration of the intersecting fields of cinema, science, math and engineering.
This invitation-only event will bring together more than 100 award-winning screenwriters, directors and producers alongside working scientists and representatives from leading film schools and organizations, who all work to bridge the gap between science & technology and popular culture.
Note: While the Summit itself is private and exclusive to invitees, we’ll be sharing some highlights here on the blog along with live updates on our Instagram, so you can still take part in the excitement.
Since its inception, the Sloan Foundation’s pioneering Film Program has supported over 850 science-themed film projects from some of the most innovative storytellers around the world. That includes more than 30 completed feature films, ranging from independent gems to major blockbusters like Oppenheimer, Twisters and Hidden Figures.
This year’s exciting summit will feature a keynote address from astronomer Amy Mainzer, screenings of recent science-focused, Sloan-awarded films, including Magma and Love Me, along with panels and conversations with a wide-range of experts in a variety of fields in the sciences and the arts.
You can check this weekend’s programming below, and as a warm-up, catch some of 2022’s Sloan Summit highlights here:
FRIDAY, MAY 9
The Sloan Film Summit will kick off this Friday, May 9 with an opening reception, followed by a screening of Magma by Cyprien Vial, awarded the Sloan Science on Screen Award at the 2025 San Francisco International Film Festival, and a Q&A with USC seismology professor & researcher, John Vidale.
SATURDAY, MAY 10
The second day begins with Sloan Grantee Introductions. Next up is Reality Augmented: AI, Machine Learning and the Future of Cinematic Expression, a panel featuring leading artists and scientists discussing the future of storytelling in the age of artificial intelligence. UCLA planetary science professor and principal investigator of NASA’s NEO Surveyor mission Amy Mainzer will deliver a Keynote Speech, and in the afternoon, we’ll feature an exclusive Live Read of selected Sloan-supported projects in development.
Rounding out the day is the panel The Consultants’ Cut: Scientific Accuracy in Storytelling, exploring the delicate balance between scientific accuracy and narrative engagement. The day will conclude with a ‘Science in Motion’ cocktail hour.
SUNDAY, MAY 11
The final day begins with a showcase of Sloan-winning short films, followed by a live Q&A which you can watch live in our online screening room by registering here. The day’s panel, Beyond Screens: How Podcasts and Social Media are Democratizing Science Storytelling, will focus on how the digital revolution has transformed how scientific knowledge is shared. The Summit concludes with a screening of Love Me, a post-apocalyptic romance in which a buoy and a satellite fall in love, from directors Andrew and Sam Zuchero, starring Kristen Stewart and Steven Yuen. The screening will include a timely discussion with computer science and psychology professor Jonathan Gratch, followed by a farewell reception for the artists and scientists at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures. The screening of Love Me is the only event open to the general public. You can register here to attend.
The Sloan Film Summit, launched in 1999, is part of Sloan’s greater efforts through its Public Understanding of Science and Technology initiative. Celebrating eight iterations, this year’s Summit (the fourth consecutive one produced by Film Independent) is a celebration of the program’s wide-ranging success supporting emerging filmmakers, while also bringing together a new group of artists and scientists to highlight how art and science interact and collaborate.
TUNE-IN: Join us online on Film Independent’s Instagram Live
We don’t want any FOMO, so we’ll stream some of the conversations, activities and Q&As taking place during this busy (and important!) weekend. Follow us on Instagram for timely updates.
Saturday, May 9
8:30 am PT: Sloan Grantee Introductions
2:15 pm PT: Amy Mainzer Keynote Speech
4:30 pm PT: Live Reads of selected Sloan-supported projects in development.
Sunday, May 10
10:45 am PT: Q&A with filmmakers of Sloan-winning short films
11:30 am PT: Panel: Beyond Screens: How Podcasts and Social Media are Democratizing Science Storytelling
We’re thrilled to celebrate the arts and sciences with some of the most inspiring minds in both fields.
Header Image: Top row L-R: Amy Mainzer (UCLA Department of Earth, Planetary, and Space Sciences), David Saltzberg (Popular Science), Anisia Uzeyman (Rockwell Creative), Ritesh Mehta (IndieWire), Dr. Kiki Sanford (X)
Bottom L-R: Roshan Sethi (Getty Images), Jessica Brillhart (I Am a Scientist), Latif Nasser (Kaila Colbin)
For over 40 years, Film Independent has helped filmmakers get their projects made and seen. The nonprofit organization’s core mission is to champion creative independence in visual storytelling and support a community of artists who embody diversity, innovation and uniqueness of vision. To support our mission with a donation, click here.
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