The Science Film Festival in India celebrated its seventh edition in 2023. Organised by Goethe-Institut(s), the festival offered a total of 29 films focusing on the theme “Reimagine, Recreate, Restore” in cooperation with United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration (2021-2030).
The festival was launched at the “Namaste Deutschland” event in Thyagaraj Stadium, Delhi with over 1,000 students. The Goethe-Institut hosted another inaugural event on October 12 with screenings, activities, workshop on micro greens, VR STEM corner, a live quiz and interaction with filmmakers about challenges of climate change, everyday sustainable practices, environmental ethics etc.
Last year, the Science Film Festival made a remarkable step towards democratizing access to knowledge by reaching rural/ tribal communities across India; Mitra Residential School, Kachapaj (Odisha), owned and operated by 16 hill-tribe villages; the young students were thrilled to learn of new ideas and mapped the places where the films were located; In Ambuja Vidya Niketan, Gir Forest, Gujarat, a series of screenings and discussions were held with the students focusing on their local ecosystem and infrastructural challenges. Our partner, Steam Academy especially tailored educational outreach sessions for the underprivileged students from Kurla and Dharavi areas (Mumbai), facilitating a tangible and engaging way to learn about environmental issues and the significance of their role in ecosystem conservation; For the first time, the festival travelled amongst the diverse communities of the Konkan region fostering a spirit of scientific curiosity in underprivileged communities which was made possible by relentless efforts from teachers within the community; The partners in Chennai organised a beach cleaning drive, eco site visits and activities. The overwhelming response from such initiatives demonstrated that educational and cultural events need not be limited by resource constraints. The festival leveraged the available infrastructure and community spirit, proving that even in challenging circumstances, meaningful initiatives can thrive.
In addition, screenings were hosted online and offline in cooperation with our local partners. 164 schools and 29 institutions hosted screenings facilitated by local festival teams. With the immense support of our partners, the festival recorded a total of 53,890 participants in 2023. The festival hopes to continue making science learning exciting and fun for thousands of students across India!
