Canberra film festival takes to the world stage

As one of the key events of Australia’s National Science Week (16-24 August), SCINEMA – a science film, video and multimedia festival – brings a program of science drama, documentaries, and short subjects, as well as a number of guest speakers, to over 150 Australian towns from Cairns to Hobart and Sydney to Perth.

SCINEMA regularly plays to tens of thousands of people across Australia, and in 2008 the program, which explores topics from climate change and human health to natural history, also includes a film by local filmmaker Matthew Higgins.

Mr Higgins will present a screening of his 15-minute film Echidnarama – an intimate journey into the secretive lives of these intriguing bush animals – as part of the Amazing World of Science event at the National Convention Centre on Saturday 23 August at 2.45pm.

“Festivals like this are a great opportunity for amateur film-makers like myself to have our films screened to a wide audience,” Mr Higgins says. His earlier film, What’s Happening at Number 96, won Best Film at the 2005 SCINEMA Festival of Science Film.

Screening at CSIRO Discovery Centre in Canberra from 16 – 24 August, the Festival features a session of films from Australia’s future science documentary film-makers on Wednesday 20 August at 5pm. It will include: short films on sustainability from Radford College and Weetangera Primary School students, a short entitled ‘A day in the life of a worm’ from Blue Gum Community School, and a documentary on creepy crawlies from ANU Science Communication student Robyn Lawrence.

SCINEMA (pronounced with a long ‘i’ to emphasise the science behind the cinema) is a partnership of the CSIRO and Cosmos Magazine, and aims to promote and raise the public level of science literacy.

SCINEMA is also bringing an international guest speaker to the ACT. Canadian multimedia artist Peter McLeish will present his new work ‘Polaris Terrarum’ at the Amazing World of Science event at the National Convention Centre on Thursday 21 August at 11.15am. His work explores the psychological effects of climate change and shrinking ice fields on people who live in our polar regions. McLeish will also speak to students at the Australian National University’s School of Art.

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