08/10/2007

The Athens International Science Film Festival will be organised for the third consecutive year by the Centre of Applied Industrial Design, CAID. Anyone interested can submit an application by 15 December 2007.

The purpose of the festival, which is expected to be held in the spring of 2008, is to popularise scientific knowledge using modern audiovisual systems and to promote and disseminate it to the general public. Films from around the world based on actual and documented data will be screened concerning problems and solutions in fields such as the environment, astronomy, archaeology, arts, biology, geology, history, medicine, genetics, anthropology, new technologies, etc. The films will be reviewed by a panel of experts from Greece and the rest of Europe and prizes will be awarded for scientific content, photography, technology, etc.

Producers and filmmakers can participate in the festival with documentaries, television series, and multimedia applications relating to scientific issues aimed at the general public which have been produced in the 2005-2007 period. Productions should be in DVD or Betacam SP format, in English or their original language. More information and the application form are available of the CAID website.

CAID is also organising a seminar on "How to make a scientific film: Art and Technique" and a master class on "Science Communication on television: script, production and direction of scientific documentation". These courses are aimed at filmmakers, young scientists, journalists, science teachers and officers from scientific research and education bodies, among others.

The "How to make a scientific film: Art and Technique" seminar will last 185 hours (October 2007 to January 2008) and will offer a specialist curriculum on issues relating to producing science films. Lessons cover techniques for producing a science film, the use of modern audiovisual media, research, the market, directing films, scenario illustration, cinema photography, image and sound editing, and so on.

The objectives of the seminar are (a) to allow filmmakers to attain specialisation in producing science films and (b) to give scientists the necessary tools and rudimentary knowledge to be able to see the results of their research captured on film.

The master class "Science Communication on television: script, production and direction of scientific documentation" will last 50 hours (February 2008) and will be taught by the renowned Spanish professor of audiovisual and communication science from the University of Navarra, journalist and producer, Bienvenido Leon. It will cover topics relating to combining science and television, the production process, narration and dramatic techniques, the scenario, special techniques for science cinema, and pre- and post- production, among other things.

Information about eligibility conditions, the full curriculum and the cost of participation can be found on the CAID website.

Source: CAID