WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--National Geographic is celebrating National Education Week in spectacular scholastic fashion, hosting screenings of the critically acclaimed documentary SCIENCE FAIR for over 1,700 schools across the United States. Lauded by critics as “supremely entertaining,” “infectious and exuberant” and “the funniest movie of the year,” SCIENCE FAIR is an illuminating look at students from around the world as they prepare for the 2017 International Science and Engineering Fair, a highly competitive showcase of the world’s top young scientific minds.
With over 1,700 schools and educational institutions currently signed up to host screenings, this unforgettable film is already having a powerful impact. With screenings planned in all 50 states and over 900 cities from Austin, Texas, to Little Rock, Arkansas, and from Burbank, California, to Lexington, Kentucky, the momentum is just beginning. To host a screening, educators can sign up via the film’s website at sciencefairfilm.com to receive free DVDs and educational materials.
“SCIENCE FAIR is a truly inspiring look at what students can achieve when their natural curiosity is nurtured,” said Courteney Monroe, CEO of National Geographic Global Networks. “National Geographic has a long history of supporting science and innovation — our hope is that a screening of this scale will help to spark the next generation of great scientists and storytellers.”
The film, directed by the DuPont Award-winning and Emmy-nominated documentary filmmaking team Cristina Costantini and Darren Foster, offers a front seat to the victories, defeats and motivations of an incredible group of young men and women who are on a path to change their lives, and the world, through science. Winner of the audience award at Sundance and SXSW, and rated 98 percent “fresh” by Rotten Tomatoes, SCIENCE FAIR follows nine students as they navigate rivalries, setbacks and, of course, hormones, on their journey to compete at the International Science and Engineering Fair. As 1,700 of the smartest, quirkiest teens from 78 different countries face off, only one will be named Best in Fair.
“SCIENCE FAIR is a love letter to the subculture that saved me. … It validated my passion for science, taught me how to dedicate myself to a goal and set my life on a trajectory that would have otherwise been totally impossible. But most important, science fair is where I found my tribe,” said SCIENCE FAIR director and ISEF alumna Costantini.
“We didn’t expect this kind of response when we made the film,” added co-director Foster. “It’s incredible to see it reach and inspire so many people. It’s a real testament to our subjects, who are brilliant and funny and from all walks of life. They truly represent the best of us.”
In addition to the brilliant students featured in the film, SCIENCE FAIR introduces us to an unlikely real-life superhero — Dr. Serena McCalla. McCalla, a science research teacher and force of nature from Long Island, has transformed Jericho High School into a powerhouse research school through her passion and dedication to science and her students.
“When we support and reward our young students in science education, we all win,” said McCalla. “We are building better doctors, researchers, environmentalists — they are the changemakers of our future who will in turn better our world.”
The film is currently playing in select theaters through mid-December – for a full list of screenings, go to sciencefairfilm.com.
SCIENCE FAIR is directed by Cristina Costantini and Darren Foster and written by Jeffrey Plunkett, Darren Foster and Cristina Costantini. Producers are Cristina Costantini, Darren Foster and Jeffrey Plunkett and executive producers are Isaac Lee, Daniel Eilemberg, Keith Summa and George Lansbury. Impact partnerships for SCIENCE FAIR are managed by impact agency Picture Motion.
About National Geographic Documentary Films
National Geographic Documentary Films is committed to bringing the world premium, feature documentaries that cover timely, provocative and globally relevant stories from the very best documentary filmmakers in the world. National Geographic Documentary Films is a division of National Geographic Partners, a joint venture between National Geographic and 21st Century Fox. Furthering knowledge and understanding of our world has been the core purpose of National Geographic for 130 years, and now we are committed to going deeper, pushing boundaries, going further for our consumers … and reaching over 730 million people around the world in 172 countries and 43 languages every month as we do it. NGP returns 27 percent of our proceeds to the nonprofit National Geographic Society to fund work in the areas of science, exploration, conservation and education. For more information, visit natgeotv.com or nationalgeographic.com, or find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Google+, YouTube, LinkedIn and Pinterest.
