Keri Kukral, CEO and Founder, has announced the line-up for the 4th annual Raw Science Film Festival which will be held between January 5 — 7, 2018 in Santa Barbara, CA. The Festival honors the best media centered on science and technology from around the world. The mission of the Festival is to ensure fact-based scientific experts stay at the forefront of popular culture. Kukral stated that “the Festival brings science fiction to life during an inspiring weekend of fun, entertainment, and public service.”

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, Fraunhofer MEVIS, Creative Projects Group, and Willow Creek Pictures. 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 Santa Barbara University Club. During the festival, there will be film screenings, exhibitions, and workshops. A black-tie red-carpet Awards Ceremony will be held on the evening of Saturday, January 6th at Santa Barbara’s Lobero Theatre. A series of Workshops, with experts from the Hollywood and scientific communities, are scheduled for Sunday, January 7th, at the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History. Paul Hynek, President of EZ Numbers will emcee the Awards Ceremony for the second year in a row. There will be a song by Susaye Greene and performances by the La Boheme Dance Company and WJM Band. Among other special features will be a celebration of the 100th birthday of Sir Arthur C. Clarke with experts on interstellar travel, human longevity, scalable healthcare, the ethics of space travel, and lunar colonization. Recent Nobel Prize-winner, Kip Thorne will “roll down the red carpet via Beam robot” to present the annual Kip Thorne Gravity Award.

Featured Award Ceremony and Workshop Speakers include:

• Dianne Newman, Caltech / Rosalind Franklin Society
• Jason Derleth, NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts
• Yvonne Cagle, Astronaut
• Lynda Obst, Producer (Interstellar, Contact)
• Jon Spaihts, Screenwriter (Prometheus, Passengers)
• Richard Garwin, Physicist (via Skype)
• Roya Mahboob, Digital Citizen Fund
• Esther Dyson, Investor/Philanthropist
• Peter Samuelson, Producer/Philanthropist
• Philip Lubin, Physicist
• Joon Yun, Palo Alto Prize
• Afghan Girls Robot Team
• Nancy Conrad, Conrad Foundation
• Michael Waltemathe

For full programming details, including Speaker Bios and Registration Information, please see: http://www.rawsciencefilmfestival.tv

For more information, please contact Festival Producers William Nix ([email protected]), Michelle McIntosh ([email protected]) or Raw Science CEO, Keri Kukral ([email protected]).

The Festival honors films on science and technology worldwide. Categories include fiction and non-fiction for both students and professionals. Cash prizes are awarded. Animations and infographics are welcomed. The event is poised to continually elevate science media to the highest stages.

—Event Producer