SF International Film Festival Awards $115,000 in Prizes for Science-Focused Films

The organization behind the San Francisco International Film Festival is awarding prizes totaling $115,000 to science-leaning films through its Sloan Science in Cinema Initiative.

At the 69th San Francisco International Film Festival, which runs from April 24 to May 4, 2026, SFFILM will present the Sloan Science on Screen Award and a $5,000 grant to Ildikó Enyedi’s film “Silent Friend.” The film stars Tony Leung Chiu-wai, Léa Seydoux and Luna Wedler and explores interconnected souls across a century through an ancient ginkgo tree.

The award presentation and screening of “Silent Friend” will take place on Sunday, April 26, 2026, at 7 p.m. At the Premier Theater at One Letterman in San Francisco. The event will include an onstage conversation between director Ildikó Enyedi and Benjamin Blackman, an associate professor in the Departments of Plant & Microbial Biology and Integrative Biology at UC Berkeley, moderated by SFFILM’s Director of Programming Jessie Fairbanks.

In addition to the award for “Silent Friend,” the Sloan Science in Cinema Initiative will honor filmmakers with cash grants totaling $115,000 to support films in early development. The initiative, a partnership between SFFILM and the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, aims to support filmmakers at the screenwriting and development stages while promoting science-themed storytelling in cinema.

The 69th San Francisco International Film Festival features a range of programs including a film industry summit, college days, and a schools program for local students and educators, all focused on nurturing the next generation of filmmakers and film lovers.