The University of Navarra Science Museum promotes the first scientific film and video festival in Spain for young people

The jury of the international #LabMeCrazy Science Film Festival competition is made up of experts such as Vladimir de Semir.

He University of Navarra Science Museum has launched a international scientific film festival, the only one in Spain that specifically aimed at young people. Under the title #LabMeCrazy Science Film Festival, aims to bring science closer to this sector of the public.

The festival, open to productions from all over the world, is open to documentaries, reports, fiction short films, programs, television reports and any video for the web or social networks on any topic related to science and whose production is after January 1, 2016. Registration (open until April 28) is done through the platform Filmfreeway.

All submitted works will be selected by a preliminary jury made up of professors and researchers from the University of Navarra and the finalists in each category will be evaluated by a professional jury that includes experts such as the scientific journalist and director of the Master in Scientific, Medical and Environmental Communication at UPF-IDEC Vladimir de Semir; Bibiana González, programming director of Discovery Networks Spain and Portugal; Alessandro Griffini, president of IAMS (International Association for Media in Science); or Iván Couso, executive producer of National Geographic Partners, Europe and Africa, among others.

The works will be framed in six categories: documentary, television report or production, fiction short film, video for the web or social networks, production made by students and work produced or co-produced by a university.

The finalist productions will be seen, in screenings open to the entire city, from September 17 to 20 at the University of Navarra Museum, with a subsequent discussion with their authors. Finally, the awards gala will also take place in the Museum's assembly hall on September 20.

In the opinion of Vladimir of Semir, television continues to be the main vehicle for transmitting knowledge to society, which has been enhanced by social networks: “Through them, the dissemination of the audiovisual world has gone from being a passive way of accessing culture to an active option in which audiences can choose à la carte and at any time what they see and what interests them.”

"In this context - continues the scientific communication expert - it is very important that what is offered to the public meets the requirements of amenity and rigor essential for good, attractive scientific dissemination. And #LabMeCrazy fits perfectly in the search for these characteristics and qualities."

Welcome Leon, director of the festival and professor of Scientific Journalism at the Faculty of Communication at the University of Navarra, adds: "Around 80% of all data traffic on the Internet is carried out in the form of video. Video has become an essential tool for transferring science to society as a whole. The video camera is today as important for science as a microscope." Likewise, he emphasizes that the festival is aimed, in the first instance, at young people, through simple, clear and fresh language, which is what they use.

"It is essential that young people become passionate about science. Ultimately, it depends on that passion that there are more scientific vocations and that thanks to them we advance as a society," concludes the expert, who already directed, for 12 years, the Telenatura documentary film festival, which achieved great international prestige.