Discover our monthly events at the Arc Cinema of the NFSA, Canberra

Dr Anna-Sophie Jürgens, Head of Popsicule (CPAS), and Professor Ken Lampl from the ANU School of Music recently spoke on ABC Radio Canberra about the “Science. Art. Film.” series, with particular attention to Jaws. Find out more about the upcoming JAWS event – and register here!

Science, art and film are among the most powerful cultural institutions we have developed to understand, shape and envision our world. Film offers something that is very powerful: an emotional and accessible entry point. Stories, characters, visual aesthetics and shared cultural references make complex ideas easier to grasp – and harder to forget. Science fiction in particular allows us to explore questions that don’t yet have clear answers. What does it mean to be human? How do we relate to emerging technologies? What kind of future are we building?

What sets “Science. Art. Film.” apart is what happens after the credits roll. Each event transforms a screening into a dynamic exchange: researchers share insights, audiences ask questions and ideas move between speakers and disciplines in real time. Humour, curiosity and creative thinking are central to the experience, making discussions both intellectually rich and welcoming.

The “Science. Art. Film.” series is part of Popsicule, ANU’s Science in Popular Culture and Entertainment Hub at the Australian National Centre for the Public Awareness of Science (CPAS). Popsicule starts with the idea that science isn’t just in the lab or research paper – it’s already in the movies you watch and the stories you love. As one panellist put it, these films provide “a unique lens through which we can understand and interrogate what it is that makes us human.”

Screening monthly at Arc Cinema, “Science. Art. Film.” is a series that uncovers wacky, weird and wonderful facets of science and art in films. Presented by the National Film and Sound Archive and the Australian National Centre for the Public Awareness of Science.