Amherst Cinema announces 2025 'Science on Screen' season
The season kicks off on Tuesday, March 25, as part of the National Evening of Science on Screen, a nationwide event highlighting the intersection of film and science. Amherst Cinema's three-part series features films that serve as launching points for discussion on forensic psychology, misinformation, and reproductive technology ethics.
'Science on Screen brings our community together to explore timely and relevant scientific themes through film,' said Amherst Cinema. 'This season, we're especially excited to showcase films that spark conversations about crime, media, and emerging technologies.'
Spring 2025 Science on Screen Lineup
The Silence of the Lambs (1991) – Tuesday, March 25, 7:00 p.m. (Speaker: Erik Cheries, Senior Lecturer in Psychological & Brain Sciences, UMass Amherst) Topic: Seeing is (Not) Believing: Navigating mis/disinformation in an era of fake news and digital discourse
Don't Look Up (2021) – Tuesday, April 1, 7:00 p.m. (Speaker: Ethan Zuckerman, Associate Professor of Public Policy, Information, and Communication, UMass Amherst) Topic: Seeing is (Not) Believing: Navigating mis/disinformation in an era of fake news and digital discourse
The Pod Generation (2023) – Tuesday, April 15, 7:00 p.m. (Speaker: Carrie N. Baker, Professor and Chair, Program for the Study of Women, Gender, and Sexuality, Smith College) Topic: Pushing the Limits: Ethics, Opportunities, and Perils of Reproductive Technologies
The Science on Screen initiative, launched in 2005 by Coolidge Corner Theatre and funded by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, aims to engage audiences with scientific ideas through film. Amherst Cinema has been a grantee since 2011, curating 48 programs to date.
This year's lineup was developed with input from Leah Demers and Ethan Thompson, two Amherst Cinema team members with backgrounds in film studies at UMass Amherst. Their expertise helped shape the film selections and identify key discussion topics.
Tickets for the series are available on their website and at the box office.
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