Celebrate the National Evening of Science on Screen at MODS during this free IMAX event featuring an exciting talk by renowned astrophysicist Dr. Ata Sarajedini as he discusses The Formation and Evolution of Galaxies. See breathtaking photos of the universe’s beautiful galaxies on the six-story high IMAX screen and learn about what makes each galaxy, including our own Milky Way, unique!
The Alfred P. Sloan Foundation and the Coolidge Corner Theatre announced the 2024 National Evening of Science on Screen®, coming to cinemas nationwide on Tuesday, March 26, 2024. That evening, participating organizations will use one of the nation’s favorite pastimes—going to the movies—to promote public understanding of science.
To date, 28 Science on Screen grantees in 21 states, all art-house cinemas or museums with film programs, have confirmed participation in this event. The National Evening of Science on Screen is the annual showcase event of the nationwide Science on Screen grant initiative, which is funded by the Sloan Foundation and administered by the Coolidge. Over the past decade, Sloan has awarded the Coolidge more than $4 million to develop and administer Science on Screen programs around the US through partnerships with other nonprofits. The Coolidge has awarded 393 grants totaling more than $2.5 million to 119 film and science-focused organizations in 44 states (plus Washington, DC) across the country.
Click here for a full listing of events.
“We’re delighted to join with the Coolidge Corner Theatre in celebrating the National Evening of Science on Screen in theaters across America,” said Doron Weber, Vice President and Program Director at the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. “Science on Screen, which pairs expert speakers with popular titles such as Sloan-winning films Hidden Figures, Don’t Look Up, and Christopher Nolan’s Oscar-winning Oppenheimer, based on the Sloan book American Prometheus by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin, demonstrates that science can illuminate films just as films can illuminate science. We’re especially proud to add to our rich and growing catalog several new Sloan-awarded films such as Sam & Andy Zuchero’s Love Me, Matt Johnson’s BlackBerry, Christopher Zalla’s Radical, and Tania Hermida’s Invention of Species.”
Science on Screen grantee theaters run three or more Science on Screen events per year, creatively pairing screenings of classic, cult, science fiction, and documentary films with presentations by notable experts from the world of science and technology. Each film serves as a jumping-off point for the speaker to introduce current research or technological advances in a way that engages general audiences. The grant is funded by the Sloan Foundation’s Program for Public Understanding of Science, Technology & Economics and administered by the Coolidge Corner Theatre, the celebrated Massachusetts art house cinema that launched the Science on Screen format in 2005.
The 28 cinemas participating in the 2024 National Evening of Science on Screen to date are:
- American Cinematheque, Los Angeles, CA
- Aspen Film, Aspen, CO
- Austin Film Society, Austin, TX
- Avalon Theatre, Washington, DC
- Belcourt Theatre, Nashville, TN
- Buskirk-Chumley Theater, Bloomington, IN
- California Film Institute, San Rafael, CA
- Cameo Cinema, St. Helena, CA
- Cinema Arts Centre, Huntington, NY
- Coolidge Corner Theatre, Brookline, MA
- Cornell Cinema, Ithaca, NY
- Enzian Theater, Maitland, FL
- FilmScene, Iowa City, IA
- Film Streams, Omaha, NE
- Heartland Film, Indianapolis, IN
- Images Cinema, Williamstown, MA
- Kenworthy Performing Arts Center, Moscow, ID
- Lawrence Arts Center, Lawrence, KS
- Maine Film Center, Waterville, ME
- Martha’s Vineyard Film Society, Vineyard Haven, MA
- Milwaukee Film, Milwaukee, WI
- Montclair Film, Montclair, NJ
- Museum of Discovery and Science, Fort Lauderdale, FL
- New Orleans Film Society, New Orleans, LA
- The Nightlight, Akron, OH
- Real Art Ways, Hartford, CT
- Taos Center for the Arts, Taos, NM
- Varsity Cinema, Des Moines, IA
First Man Film Synopsis
The riveting story of NASA’s mission to land a man on the moon, focusing on Neil Armstrong and the cost—on Armstrong, his family, his colleagues, the nation—of one of the most dangerous missions in history.
On the heels of their six-time Academy Award®-winning smash, La La Land, Oscar®-winning director Damien Chazelle and star Ryan Gosling reteam to tell the story behind the first manned mission to the moon, focusing on Neil Armstrong and the decade leading to the historic Apollo 11 flight. A visceral and intimate account told from Armstrong’s perspective, based on the book by James R. Hansen, the film explores triumph, sacrifice, and leading under the pressure of grace and tragedy.
About the Speaker
Following his breathtaking presentation during the Museum’s 2022-23 Science on Screen Series, MODS is excited to welcome back Dr. Sarajedini for Science on Screen in 2024. Sarajedini is a professor in the Department of Physics and the Bjorn Lamborn Endowed Chair in Astrophysics in the Charles E. Schmidt College of Science and previously served as dean of the college from 2017 to 2020. Dr. Sarajedini was recently elected as a Fellow of the American Astronomical Society (AAS) – one of just 21 members to be honored by the AAS for extraordinary achievement and service this year.
For more information about the Science on Screen grant initiative, visit the Science on Screen website at scienceonscreen.org.
