The Friends of the Juneau Public Libraries in partnership with the Gold Town Nickelodeon Theater and the Juneau Public Libraries has been awarded a Science on Screen grant from the Coolidge Corner Theatre and the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. The Coolidge Corner Theatre and Alfred P. Sloan Foundation will grant up to $8,500 to each of the 23 Science on Screen recipients. A major criterion in determining grant recipients is their ability to play a significant role in the cultural life of their communities. The 2015 selected recipients have all demonstrated a successful track record of building strong community partnerships and producing creative, thought-provoking film programs that both educate and entertain audiences.
Initially conceived and established in 2005 for Coolidge Corner Theatre regional audiences, Science on Screen creatively pairs feature films and documentaries with presentations by experts in science and technology. The series is one of the theater’s longest running and most successful programs.
“We are kicking off our Science on Screen series with a screening of ‘Die Hard’ which will be introduced by a panel of local experts who work with explosives to control avalanche danger and create fireworks displays as well as work in demolition and bomb disposal” said Beth Weigel, program coordinator for the Juneau Public Libraries, in a release. The panel will include Brian Davies, director of snow safety at Eaglecrest; Sigrid Dahlberg and Gary Stambaugh, 4th of July fireworks crew; Gregg Parker, retired military; and Mark Ridgway, demolition expert and Gold Town Theater owner.
The free talk and screenings of the film will take place on Tuesday, Dec 1 at the new Mendenhall Valley Library starting at 7:30 p.m. and on Sunday, Dec. 6 at the Gold Town Theater starting at 6:30 p.m.
UAS History Professor Robin Walz will be the featured speaker in February for a screening of the film “Elephant Man.” His talk, which will also be part of the UAS Sound and Motion series, will be entitled: “Viewing Elephant Man: How Science and Industry Reconfigured the Grotesque Body.”
“We are also planning films and speakers for March and May or June around the topics of birding and gender identity.” said Weigel. “We are planning to schedule our March film and talk to coordinate with the National Evening of Science on Screen which will be Tuesday, March 22. “
For more information about upcoming Science on Screen talks and films, visit http://www.juneau.org/library or http://www.goldtownnick.com.
