Science Festivals have a way of making complex scientific concepts accessible through impressive and educational displays. Now imagine combining that with a film festival! The Science Film Festival is one such platform for science communication across Southeast Asia, South Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America. Since its launch in 2005, this event has grown to reach over half a million viewers annually. This year’s theme is Net Zero and the Circular Economy.
The Science Film Festival Family Day at the Goethe-Institut in Johannesburg will be inviting local partners that will be facilitating engaging science film screenings, interactive discussions, sustainable hands-on activities for kids and a food workshop.
The partners for this year’s cohort are Play Africa, a local organisation that plays a vital role in early childhood development (ECD) and foundation phase education for children aged 0-12, with outreach programs extending across the region.They will be facilitating film screenings, engaging activities and science experiments for children.
Soul Indigenous Life (S.O.I.L) will be facilitating an urban food gardening workshop, using waste products as reusable recycling material. The net-zero initiatives and circular economy is the theme for this year’s Science Film Festival Family Day and S.O.I.L will be engaging young ones through urban farming.
Bitten Studio will delve into an engaging cooking workshop that will introduce children to the concept of a circular economy through a fun and engaging culinary activity using indigenous ingredients.
Ietse’ene Designs is a craft and jewellery and accessories brand that inspires creative thinking and innovation. This workshop will focus on the upcycling of fashion accessories such as wallets, hats, bags and flower bouquets.
In addition to the Science Film Festival Family Day, Play Africa and the Centre for Creative Arts (CCA) are running film screenings, experiments and discussions in different communities in and around Johannesburg and Gauteng.
The Centre for Creative Arts (CCA) at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) is a living lab for cross-cultural scientific exchange and for this festival, they have been running exciting activities in Durban. The festival took place at various art centres, museums and tertiary institutions throughout Durban from October 14 to 18. The first Science Film Festival in Durban aims to raise awareness on global warming. 
The Science Film Festival is an outstanding festival with great potential to link science, film and educational approaches for all age groups. And this year’s theme is exemplary of that.The focus being Net zero initiatives and the Circular economy, and how these can tackle climate challenges. But the fun Family Day at the Goethe-Institut on November 16, 2024, is where families can freely explore these concepts.
