Raw Science Film Festival January 5-7, 2018

 

The Bridge Between Science and Media:

Raw Science Film Festival 2017 Comes to Santa Barbara January 5-7, 2018

 

Keri Kukral, CEO and Founder of Raw Science TV, has announced the line-up for the 4th annual Raw Science Film Festival which will be held January 5 – 7, 2018 at a number of venues in Santa Barbara. The Festival honors films on science and technology worldwide. Categories include fiction and non-fiction for both students and professionals.

“The mission of the Festival is to ensure fact-based scientific experts stay at the forefront of popular culture. The Festival brings science fiction to life during an inspiring weekend of fun, entertainment, and public service,” stated Kukral. She is a bioengineer and ballet dancer and is interested in the intersection of science and media. She is also active in empowering girls and women in STEM through access to energy and connectivity. Kukral earned a degree in Bio/Electrical Engineering from Purdue University and has worked in R&D developing medical devices at Abbott Laboratories, EV3 Neurovascular, and ViaCyte. She started the TV channel by winning an entrepreneurial pitch competition through Caltech and IdeaLab. Kukral created the Raw Science Foundation to promote STEAM education globally through access to energy and connectivity, particularly for girls and women. 

 

Along with Kukral, the Festival is being produced by William Nix of Creative Projects Group and Michelle McIntosh of Willow Creek Pictures. Partners include UCSB Department of Physics, Arthur C Clarke Center for Human Imagination, Rosalind Franklin Society, Conrad Foundation, Explore Mars, Anti-Defamation League, Santa Barbara Film Commission, Santa Barbara Visitors Bureau, Vortex Immersion Media, Lobero Theater, Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History, University Club Santa Barbara, and Fraunhofer MEVIS. The festival is through the Raw Science Foundation. The 501(c) (3) fiscal sponsor is Partnerships for Change.

 

The three-day event begins with an Opening-Night VIP Reception at the University Club in Santa Barbara on Friday, January 5 at 7:00 p.m. During the festival, there will be film screenings, exhibitions, and workshops. A black-tie red-carpet Awards Ceremony will be held on Saturday, January 6th at Santa Barbara’s Lobero Theatre at 6:00 p.m. Paul Hynek, President of EZ Numbers will emcee the Awards Ceremony for the second year in a row. Recent Nobel Prize-winner, Kip Thorne will “roll down the red carpet via Beam robot” to present the annual Kip Thorne Gravity Award. There will be a song by Susaye Greene and performances by the La Boheme Dance Company and WJM Band. Speakers include experts on interstellar travel, human longevity, scalable healthcare, the ethics of space travel, and the Afghan Girls Robot Team. 

 

In addition, in true interdisciplinary spirit, Jatila van der Veen, Ph.D./Project Scientist I, UCSB Department of Physics will perform with La Boheme Dance Company in the opening act at Saturday night Awards ceremony at the Lobero. Choreographed by artistic director Teresa Kuskey Nowak, former ballerina with NYC Ballet and American Ballet Theater, the opening act pays musical tribute to the great sci fi films 2001 A Space Odyssey and Close Encounters of the Third Kind, and celebrates all races, nations, and genders in the future of space exploration.”

 

On Sunday, January 7, a series of workshops, with experts from the Hollywood and scientific communities is scheduled from 10:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.at the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History, 2559 Puesta del Sol. Participants include film producer Lynda Obst (Interstellar, Contact) and writer/producer John Spaihts (Promethus, Dr. Strange, Passengers). The purpose of the workshops is to bridge scientific and educational art/media fields to engage global communities in science communication.

 

Workshop presenter and UCSB Physics professor Phil Lubin said, “This festival will create a wonderful opportunity for cross-fertilization between filmmakers, scientists, and the public, stoking the imaginations of all who participate.

 

Featured award ceremony and workshop speakers include: 

• Dianne Newman, Caltech / Rosalind Franklin Society

• Jason Derleth, NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts

• Yvonne Cagle, Astronaut

• Richard Garwin, Physicist (via Skype)

• Roya Mahboob, Digital Citizen Fund

• Esther Dyson, Investor/Philanthropist

• Peter Samuelson, Producer/Philanthropist

• Philip Lubin, Physicist, UCSB Professor

• Joon Yun, Palo Alto Prize

• Afghan Girls Robot Team*

• Nancy Conrad, Conrad Foundation

• Michael Waltemathe

 

*The Afghan Girls Robotics Team won a silver medal at the first robotics competition held in Boston in July, 2017. The team will be speaking and exhibiting their new robot. The Festival is trying to raise the cost of flights. GoFundMe:https://www.gofundme.com/ afghan-girls-robot-team-at- rsff2017

 

Ticket prices range from $10 (students) to $150 VIP that includes all the weekend’s events.  forTo purchase tickets for the event and for full programming details, including Speaker Bios and Registration Information, visit http://www.rawsciencefilmfestival.tv

 

For more Festival information, contact Raw Science CEO, Keri Kukral keri@raws Raw Science CEO, Keri Kukral keri@rawscience.tvcience.tv.