Science Fair

The reviewer said this was the worst film at Sundance and misunderstood why audience members would cry at this film must lack basic human emotion. A truly uplifting, passionate, and intelligently crafted narrative that expertly explores the Intel science fair and the diverse lives of some of the children involved. I highly recommend it!

I admit I went to the sold out screening of this movie because it featured students at my daughter's high school in Louisville, one of which is the daughter of my friend. I am so happy I did. What a wonderful, well-made film and story. I found myself tearing up more than once, and laughing out loud many times, even clapping a couple of times - certainly not the expectation I went in with. It was truly an entertaining and enjoyable 90 minutes. Kudos to Cristina, Darren and Jeff for this gift. And students - you were awesome! Waiting for the sequel.

This documentary focuses on a variety of students from different schools and countries as they try to qualify for the international science fair, which is akin to the Oscars for young science boffins. This isn't lightweight stuff, these youngsters are involved in proper high-level science projects from micro cameras that can tell if a burger is fully cooked to cancer prevention, by way of new improved aeroplane designs and artificial intelligence systems. When you watch this, don't be alarmed if these kids make you feel inferior. When I was 14 I wasn't developing systems to interpret brain waves, I think I was probably playing Jet Set Willy 2.

This film works so very well for me because I found myself cheering on every single one of these young people. They all come from slightly different backgrounds and have different elements which make them likeable and fascinating. From the youngsters from a very poor Brazilian small town, to the little fella who created a calculator that generated Shakespearean insults (e.g. 'thou art an unwashed puckart'), to the New York teacher who has created a conveyor belt of scientific excellence in her school, to the young lass who unashamedly declares that she is a gift to the world (she actually is, by the way). There is a large selection of great characters making this one both inspiring but also somewhat moving. It makes you realise that the world is - at least partially - going to be in good hands in the future.

Greetings again from the darkness. Welcome to the island of misfit High School geeks. Co-directors Cristina Constantini and Darren Foster introduce us to a few of the kids from around the globe who are striving to compete in the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair. More than 1500 students from dozens of countries qualify each year to present their ideas for a $75,000 grand prize. There are many rules, but the key is that the project must have "global impact". Does this sound more important than a football game? Well, not in South Dakota!

The film opens with the viral clip of a previous winner who literally ran onstage screaming and crying when his name was announced as a winner. We then meet Jack Andraka today, and in his interview, he explains his guttural response and the impact of the fair both for individuals and idea advancement. Jack, now in his 20's, works as a researcher. We follow 9 students from various parts of the world - each with different backgrounds, interests, expertise, and motivations. The support they receive from parents, teachers and schools also varies, as do the resources available.

Students being followed are from a Kentucky, South Dakota, Brazil, West Virginia, Germany and New York state. The systems range from a magnet school to a public school without a science lab. In South Dakota, a Muslim girl named Kashfia bluntly states that athletics are the focus of her school (their football team went 0-9), and her science teachers had no interest in being her faculty sponsor ... so the football coach agreed to fill the role. This is contrasted to a New York teacher who commits her off-hours to mentor and push students to participate and compete, and she regularly sends multiple students to the fair. In West Virginia, a frustrated math teacher discusses how one student had no interest in homework or tests, then we hear the student explain his advancements in artificial intelligence. A German student diligently works on improving the aeronautics on single wing aircraft. Other projects include detecting arsenic in water, the effects of drug and alcohol abuse, and preventing cancer rather than curing it. It's an impressive lot.

Quite a few of the students hail from immigrant families, and each student is inspiring, intelligent and ambitious. Given the political climate in the U.S. these days, it is heart-warming to see so many youngsters who want to make the world a better place. The directors also interview past winners, but are not allowed in the exhibit hall once the judging begins. National Geographic has sponsored this documentary which won the Audience award at both Sundance and SXSW. These students are the ones that give us hope for the future, and remind us that sports are a nice pastime, but it is intelligence and technical advancements that will sustain the species. The film should be used to recruit more students into working towards the Olympics of Science Fairs!

I had to balance the 1 star review that precedes this one. This won the Audience Award at Sundance, so I can assure you that emotional response was truer than the cold hearted one expressed by Brian. An industry friend of mine was at the Sundance screenings and says it was a raucous room of joy. I saw this yesterday at the Portland IFF and that audience also had their hearts in their throats from the very start. The film smartly opens with undeniably great footage of a previous winner, a kid named Jack, whose unembarrassed nerdjoy just fills up the screen. The film takes off from there. If you respond to these youth competition documentaries (SPELLBOUND, FIRST POSITION) you will love this one too.