The Science Film Festival returns to Indonesia in its 14th edition, reaching students from elementary to high school levels in 70 cities across the archipelago in a hybrid format from 21 October to 30 November 2023. This year, the festival explores the theme, “UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration”. Students will explore the importance of the protection and revival of ecosystems through screenings of international films accompanied by fun science experiments.
This year’s Science Film Festival in Indonesia will screen 18 films from 12 countries, namely South Africa, the USA, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Indonesia, the UK, Germany, Kazakhstan, Colombia, Tanzania, and Thailand. The curated films are scheduled to be screened consecutively offline at schools in Jabodetabek, Blitar, Surabaya, East Belitung and Medan. In addition, a number of science centres in Jakarta, Bandung, Yogyakarta, and Pontianak will also hold offline screenings along with science experiments. Meanwhile, film screenings and science experiments will take place online via the Zoom platform for students in other cities, such as Aceh, Arguni, Bintuni, Dolok Sanggul, East Flores, Jayapura, Kefamenanu, Pematang Siantar, Sidikalang, Sumbawa, Tobelo, Waikabubak, and more.
In 2023, the Science Film Festival is the official supporting partner of the United Nations
Decade on Ecosystem Restoration. The theme is a rallying call for the protection and
revival of ecosystems all around the world. The UN Decade runs from 2021 through 2030,
which is also the deadline for the Sustainable Development Goals and the timeline
scientists have identified as the last chance to prevent catastrophic climate change. Ecosystem restoration means assisting in the recovery of ecosystems that have been degraded or destroyed, as well as conserving the ecosystems that are still intact.
Dr Stefan Dreyer, Director of Goethe-Institut Southeast Asia, Australia, and New Zealand during the opening ceremony on Saturday, 21 October 2023 at Plaza Insan Berprestasi, Ministry of Education, Culture, Research and Technology, Jakarta said, “Science Film Festival is committed to highlighting the importance of the ecosystem approach for the integrated management of land, water and living resources and the need to step up efforts to tackle desertification, land degradation, erosion and drought, biodiversity loss and
water scarcity, which are seen as major environmental, economic, and social challenges for global sustainable development. By bringing films from around the world on scientific topics to young audiences, we hope to creatively stimulate children and youngsters.”
This year’s festival is supported by its long-standing partners, including: the Ministry of
Education, Culture, Research and Technology; the Embassy of the Federal Republic of
Germany; the initiative “Schools: Partners for the Future” (PASCH); Bildungskooperation
Deutsch (BKD); Rolls-Royce; Paramadina University; Atma Jaya Catholic University of
Indonesia; Jakarta State University; and PGRI. Furthermore, the festival is also in
cooperation with more than 300 local partners, including schools, educational institutions,
science centres, communities and media partners.
