Science on the 'green' screen

Karachi holds global Science Film Festival, celebrating innovation and sustainability

KARACHI:

The Science Film Festival 2025 opened in Karachi on Wednesday, offering a dynamic mix of science, art, and environmental awareness as it showcased 123 films from 37 countries, including 29 selected for Pakistan.

This year's theme, 'Green Jobs', spotlights professionals and innovators shaping technologies and solutions for a sustainable future.

Hosted by the Goethe-Institut Pakistan in collaboration with The MagnifiScience Centre, the festival's opening drew educators, students, and science enthusiasts to an inspiring celebration of creativity and innovation through the power of film.

The event featured interactive screenings, live experiments, and exhibits designed to make science engaging for audiences of all ages.

On the occasion, Favad Soomro said that the festival created an invaluable opportunity to make science approachable and relevant for young learners. Maha Jafarey and German Consul Anja Klos also delivered welcome remarks highlighting the event's commitment to scientific literacy and sustainability.

Over 150 students from various schools attended the opening, including children from underprivileged backgrounds who rarely experience interactive scientific learning environments. They explored MagnifiScience's hands-on exhibits and proudly presented their own projects inspired by the festival's global theme, reflecting creativity and curiosity cultivated over weeks of preparation.

Since its inception in 2005, the Science Film Festival has evolved into one of the world's largest platforms for science communication, expanding across Southeast Asia, South Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America.

It promotes science literacy through international films and educational activities that demonstrate how scientific inquiry can be both accessible and enjoyable. The 2025 edition runs from October 1 to December 20 in 23 countries, celebrating the best in international science storytelling.

Organisers say the event underscores the growing importance of 'Green Jobs', focusing on careers that combine innovation with environmental responsibility. These include renewable energy technicians, environmental engineers, sustainable agriculture experts, recycling coordinators, green building architects, and energy efficiency consultants.

As nations worldwide grapple with climate change, biodiversity loss, and the depletion of natural resources, the festival's focus on sustainable careers highlights how scientific progress can drive meaningful social and environmental change.

The films selected for this year's screenings reflect diverse perspectives on ecological preservation, climate adaptation, and technological innovation, aiming to inspire young audiences toward sustainability-oriented professions.

The festival 2025 received 1,503 submissions from 110 countries, from which over 30 science communication professionals across participating nations selected 123 for the official programme. These films compete for six awards, which will be announced in January 2026.

The official selection spans five categories - Family Edutainment, Ecology & Environment, Natural Science, Life Science & Technology, Non-Verbal & Science Shorts, and Culture & History - ensuring content suitable for a wide range of viewers while maintaining a focus on young audiences. Each film has been paired with accompanying educational activities designed to translate complex scientific ideas into practical, relatable experiences.

Throughout its history, the festival has maintained a consistent mission: to demonstrate that science can be exciting, inclusive, and transformative. Its organisers say the Karachi edition carries forward this legacy by linking film-based learning with the real-world urgency of sustainability.

With its focus on 'Green Jobs', the Science Film Festival 2025 underscores how emerging generations can contribute to building a low-carbon future while pursuing meaningful careers. The festival thus not only celebrates science as an academic pursuit but also as a catalyst for collective responsibility and action in the face of global challenges.

In Karachi, that message resonated clearly - in the laughter of students during live experiments, in the curiosity sparked by each screening, and in the shared hope that science and creativity together can chart the way to a greener, more sustainable tomorrow.