Science on Screen: 41 Independent Cinemas Win Grants to Bring Science to Film
The Science on Screen 2025-2026 initiative returns with $1.45 million in grants to 41 independent cinemas and cultural organizations across the United States. The program combines expert talks with screenings of
Image taken from the official channel of YouTube from Science On Screen.
The initiative Nationwide Science on Screen®, in Spanish “Science on Screen Nationwide,” promotes scientific literacy through entertainment. This scholarship program is an initiative of the Coolidge Corner Theatre in collaboration with the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, which brings science to cinema to promote scientific and cinematic culture throughout the country.
The program launched at Coolidge University in 2005 and nationally in 2010. During that time, 353 grants totaling more than $1.4T2.5 million were awarded to 108 independent organizations in 42 states. And this week, the recipients of its national Science on Screen® grant program for the 2025-2026 season were announced.
Therefore, each organization will receive up to $9,000 to create and present three or more Science on Screen events. These will include expert-led scientific debates with screenings of feature films and documentaries. A total of $250,000 will be awarded to 41 independent cinemas, museums and community groups with film programs.
Highlights this season include:
At Ragtag Cinema (Columbia, MO) — Dr. Jennifer First, PhD, MSW, Assistant Professor in the College of Health Sciences at the University of Missouri—Columbia, introduced the screening of Spike Lee’s “Do the Right Thing.” Drawing on research from the Midwest and Southeast U.S., Dr. First examined the intersection of heat exposure, social vulnerability, and adaptive capacity, drawing on the lived experiences of communities on the frontlines of climate change.
Amherst Cinema (Amherst, MA) — Erik Cheries, Ph.D., a senior lecturer in the Department of Psychological and Neurological Sciences at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, explored the “science of lambs,” exploring what Hollywood’s most famous crime thriller (The Silence of the Lambs) tells us about serial killers, psychopathy, and the birth of forensic psychology.
Marquee Arts (Ann Arbor, MI) — He Dr. Mosharaf Chowdhury, associate professor of computer science and engineering at the University of Michigan, presented the Sloan Prize-winning film "Love Me." In his talk, he explored the implications of AI for climate change and whether AI will survive long after our extinction.
Coolidge Corner Theater (Brookline, MA) — Before the screening of Shakespeare in Love, the Dr. John Ross, physician and professor from Harvard Medical School offered an overview of Shakespeare's social history and the health disaster in early modern London. Ross addressed contemporary gossip about Shakespeare, including his involvement in a love triangle that was rumored to have had genitourinary consequences.
Gene Siskel Film Center (Chicago, Illinois)— He Dr. Upneet Chawla, from Rush University Medical Center, explored how sleep deprivation affects our lives and analyzed how many hours of sleep it actually takes to solve a murder. The protagonist of Insomnia isn't the only one who needs a nap: A recent One Earth study revealed that Americans lose an average of 44 hours of sleep a year.
Science on Screen in dialogue:
Each film serves as a launching point for a speaker to present current research or technological advances in a way that appeals to a general audience. From the role of the amygdala in the brains of zombies in Night of the Living Dead to advances in epidemiology since The Andromeda Strain.
Doron Weber, vice president and chief program officer of the Sloan Foundation, stated, “We are thrilled to continue our critical partnership with the Coolidge Corner Theatre to support the national Science On Screen program.” He added, “We are proud that theaters can select recent Sloan-funded documentaries and highlight pressing contemporary issues and inspiring scientific figures.”
Here you can find the complete program of the 41 cinemas participating in this edition: PROGRAMS
For more stories like this, follow More Latin.
Sources:
- Official Statement of Nationwide Science on Screen®
- Alfred P. Sloan Foundation
- Coolidge Corner Theatre
English 
Spanish