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Iranian refugee Trekkie finds hope in space films. Astro-photography. Hollywood anatomy. Fact-checking sci-fi.

National Science Week

Great National Science Week FILM stories up for grabs now around Australia

• TikToker on how social media is changing science communication – Hobart, TAS
• Iranian refugee and Trekkie founds space film festival exploring a ‘better future’ - Canberra, ACT
• Anatomy according to Hollywood - Kensington, NSW
• Science through the lens, from microbes to Antarctic ice – Hobart, TAS
• Night sky photography and Palawa star stories around a mountain fire – Wellington Park, TAS
• Black holes and robots: where sci-fi meets sci-fact – Hobart, TAS
• A porcupinefish walks the red carpet – North Adelaide, SA
• Shoot the stars on your smartphone – Stockport, SA
• Nature’s jewels: slime mould photography – Ulverstone, TAS

More on these below and visit ScienceWeek.net.au/events to find more stories in your area. 

Scientists, experts, performers and event organisers are available for interview throughout National Science Week. 

Read on for direct contact details for each event, or contact Tanya Ha, [email protected] or 0404 083 863.

Visit the Media Centre for all media releases and images available for media use.

TikToker on how social media is changing science communication – Sandy Bay, TAS

Wiradjuri woman and science communicator Dr Kirsten Banks has a PhD in astrophysics… and 600K followers on TikTok.

Millions of people now turn to TikTok, Instagram and YouTube to understand the world around them. How do we build trust in science in the age of social media? Ask Kirsten.

Drawing on her own experience reaching global audiences online, Kirsten examines how complex ideas can be made accessible without sacrificing accuracy, and what this means for trust, misinformation and public understanding in an increasingly connected world.

Kirsten will deliver a keynote as part of the University of Tasmania’s ‘Island of Ideas’ event series, followed by a conversation with Director of the Institute of Indigenous Knowledges Prof Sadie Heckenberg.

Wednesday 12 August: www.scienceweek.net.au/event/island-of-ideas-how-social-media-is-changing-science-communication/sandy-bay

Media enquiries: Matt Fraser, [email protected] or 0401 326 007.

Dr Kirsten Banks is also part of Beaker Street Festival’s Dark Sky Dinner on Thursday 13 August near Hobart and Expanding the Cosmos at Mount Gnomon astronomy evening on Monday 17 August at Penguin.

Iranian refugee and Trekkie founds space film festival exploring a ‘better future’ - Canberra, ACT

Former IT professional-turned-filmmaker Masoud Varjavandi found strength watching Star Trek while growing up in a Baha’i family persecuted in Iran during the 1980s.

Today, he shares stories for a better future through Canberra’s Space Faring Civilisation Film Festival, featuring award-winning sci-fi and documentary shorts.

Masoud says: “This isn’t about escapism. It’s about reminding people that progress, peace and a better future are still within reach.”

Free stop-motion animation workshops will be held in Canberra’s shopping centres in the lead-up to the Space Faring Civilisation (SFC) Film Festival on Sunday 23 August.

The SFC Film Festival’s mission is to bring together the next generation of filmmakers and science storytellers, culminating in a full-day event that includes creative workshops, a Q&A panel, and screenings of award-winning sci-fi and documentary shorts with a positive perspective on science and space exploration.

Sunday 23 August: www.scienceweek.net.au/event/2026-space-faring-civilisation-sfc-film-festival/canberra

Media enquiries: Masoud Varjavandi, [email protected], 0432 902 619.

SFC Film Festival director Masoud Varjavandi is available for media interviews. View the 2025 Highlight Reel.

Anatomy according to Hollywood - Kensington, NSW

Ever watched a movie scene and thought, “there’s no way the human body works like that… right?” Dr Kosta Kotsidis can explain what Hollywood gets right and gets very wrong, with examples drawn from House, Indiana Jones, Austin Powers, Poltergeist (and many more).

Kosta will explore human bodies on screen and the real science of anatomy in his hilarious and fact-filled public talk Anatomy According to Hollywood, set in the unique and revealing Museum of Human Disease.

Recommended for ages 16 and above. This event includes discussion of human anatomy, injury, horror themes and clips or references from MA15+ films and television programs.

Thursday 20 August: www.scienceweek.net.au/event/anatomy-according-to-hollywood/unsw

Dr Kosta Kotsidis is available for media interviews.

Media enquiries: Jo Dable, [email protected] or 02 9065 0330

Science through the lens, from microbes to Antarctic ice – Hobart, TAS

See stunning images of science and choose a winner at the Beaker Street Science Photography Prize. It celebrates images that reveal how science shapes our understanding of the world, with a focus on Tasmania, the Southern Ocean and Antarctica.

This finalist exhibition features 12 images – from microscopic structures to vast Antarctic landscapes – chosen through judging and public voting. This year’s judges are Wiradjuri astrophysicist and science communicator Dr Kirsten Banks and Australian Geographic 2025 Nature Photographer of the Year Marley Butler. Visitors can vote for the People’s Choice Award.

Part of the Beaker Street Festival, on show at the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery.

Runs 5 August – 6 September, during TMAG opening hours and TMAG After Dark: www.scienceweek.net.au/event/beaker-street-science-photography-prize-finalist-exhibition-3/hobart

Media enquiries: Matt Fraser, [email protected] or 0401 326 007.

Palawa star stories around a mountain fire – Wellington Park, TAS

Hear the stories of Wurangkili Liwari (the night sky) with Pakana woman and UTAS Senior Indigenous Scholar Theresa Sainty who shares stories of her people’s uninterrupted connection to the stars – including the creation of Palawa, the first ancestor to walk the earth.

Photographers Luke Tscharke and Dr Andrew Phipps then guide guests through the southern night sky, learning palawa kani words for stars while gazing into the Milky Way, and discussing the importance of protecting Sky Country. Part of the Beaker Street Festival.

Multiple evenings, 6–15 August (SOLD OUT): www.scienceweek.net.au/event/wurangkili-liwari-nipaluna-an-evening-of-palawa-astronomy-and-stargazing-sold-out-waitlist-available/wellington-park

Media enquiries: Matt Fraser, [email protected] or 0401 326 007.

Black holes and robots: where sci-fi meets sci-fact – Hobart, TAS

From black holes in Interstellar to a robot cleaning up a deserted Earth in Wall-E, science fiction has long inspired real research. ‘That’s What I Call Science’ brings science and art together at From Fact to Fiction, screening a science fiction film followed by a panel of STEM experts.

The panel will unpack the science behind the film and connect it to their own research taking place in Lutruwita/Tasmania.

Sunday 16 August: www.scienceweek.net.au/event/from-fact-to-fiction-2/hobart

Media enquiries: Olly Dove, [email protected]

Olly Dove available for media interviews.

A porcupinefish walks the red carpet – North Adelaide, SA

Audiences can walk the red carpet for the official premiere of two new animated short films, Little Scientists, Big Blue and Porci Explores Marine Parks, made with Fastbreak Films for National Science Week 2026.

Little Scientists, Big Blue follows Porci the Porcupinefish on an imaginative underwater journey through kelp forests and deep-sea ecosystems, while Porci Explores Marine Parks showcases South Australia’s 26 state and Commonwealth marine parks and the science behind protecting them.

Hosted by the Marine Discovery Centre and National Parks and Wildlife Service SA, the family event includes a panel of marine scientists, live music from Sea Star Rock, VR reef dives, marine touch tables and Indigenous science displays, emceed by Lucy Rasheed from Sea Star Rock.

Saturday 22 August: www.scienceweek.net.au/event/national-science-week-premiere-little-scientists-big-blue/north-adelaide

Media enquiries: Carmen Bishop, Marine Discovery Centre, [email protected] or 0422 885 409

Carmen Bishop and scientists involved in developing the script are available for media interviews.

Asteroids, exoplanets, ceramics, and slime moulds – Ulverstone, TAS

• See Sarah Lloyd OAM's extraordinary slime moulds photography.
• Ask Hive Principal Astronomer Dr Martin George about planets, exoplanets, constellations and other celestial wonders. Get his expert guide to stargazing.
• Create a new species in clay, guided by ceramic artist Christie Lange.

These are three highlights happening in and around Hive during a three-week feast of science, art, and culture in North West Tasmania.

The program explores ecosystems, agriculture, and astronomy through events ranging from stargazing and school science sessions to family expos, exhibitions, and science‑in‑social‑spaces. Other highlights include science pub quizzes at Penguin Beer Co in Penguin and The Pier in Ulverstone, talks from Young Tassie Scientists, and Aboriginal environmental managers sharing First Nations ecology and regeneration.

Saturday 8 August to Wednesday 26 August:Multiple events and locations .

Media enquiries: Sarah Beckett, [email protected] or 0427 909 801.

Shoot the stars on your smartphone – Stockport, SA

The Astronomical Society of South Australia is throwing open its Stockport Observatory for a free Star Party, offering telescope viewing, guided tours of the night sky and a hands-on workshop on astrophotography using nothing but a mobile phone.

The evening includes laser-guided tours to help identify planets, stars and nebulae, activities for children, and the chance to use both visual and electronic-imaging telescopes.

A sausage sizzle and astronomy merchandise will be available on the night. The event is free thanks to the support of Inspiring South Australia, though tickets must be booked in advance.

Saturday 15 August: www.scienceweek.net.au/event/a-night-under-the-stars-with-the-astronomical-society-of-south-australia/stockport

Media enquiries: Ken Grant, [email protected] or 0448 931 104

Ken Grant available for media interviews.

National Science Week: background

National Science Week is Australia’s annual opportunity to meet scientists, discuss hot topics, do science and celebrate its contribution to our lives. Science drives economic and social change – from safe and nutritious food to reducing cancer deaths; from smart phones to AI; from under Antarctica’s ice floes to distant planets.

First held in 1997, National Science Week has become one of Australia’s largest festivals. Last year about 3 million people participated in more than 2,500 registered events and activities. 

National Science Week 2026 runs from Saturday 15 to Sunday 23 August. Event details can be found at www.scienceweek.net.au.

National Science Week is proudly supported by the Australian Government, alongside key partners Questacon, CSIRO, the Australian Science Teachers Association, and ABC Science.