The InScience 2018 preliminary list of film titles is now made public! We celebrate no less than seven films; the mix combines outspoken documentaries and fiction, fascinating shorts and daring features. About one of the biggest challenges for artificial intelligence, about revolutionary research between human and chimpanzee, about the very first voyage with a solar powered airplane and about the ethics of activism in the battle to save the pink river dolphins. The first films that are part of the InScience program are:

Alpha Go
Greg Kohs | Documentary | US | 2017 | 90 min
With this years theme Artificial Intelligence, InScience presents you this documentary about one of the biggest challenges for artificial intelligence. The Chinese board game Go seems simple, but has more board configurations than there are atoms in the universe. For a long time Go is considered one of the biggest challenges for artificial intelligence. In a best-of-five game hundred and thousands of people across the world are watching a Go master compete against an AI challenger.

Point of No Return
Noel Dockstader & Quinn Kanaly | Documentary | US, JP, CN, IN, OM, AE, MM, EG, ES | 2017 | 95 min
Let’s go on an airborne voyage on a global scale, soaring for five days non-stop at 8,5 kilometres up in the air. In 1999, the Swiss balloonist Bertrand Piccard was the first person to navigate the globe in a balloon. As a descendant from the famous inventor Auguste Piccard (1884-1962) and underwater explorer Jacques Piccard (1922-2008), he treads in his grandfather’s and father’s footsteps once more by circumnavigating Earth by means of a solar-powered airplane. The fragile but aerodynamic machine and the well-being of its pioneering pilot Piccard are at the mercy of the whims of nature. Will Piccard’s arduous journey be successful?

Jane
Brett Morgen | Documentary | US | 2017 | 90 min
When Jane Goodall travels to Tanzania to do a research on chimpanzees a dream has come true. She offsets her lack in experience and scientific knowledge with a passion for animals and an open mind. With the help of cameraman Hugo van Lewick she delivered a revolutionary research with new insights in the relationship between human and chimpanzee.

A River Below
Mark Grieco | Documentary | US, CO | 2017 | 87 min
Deep in the Amazon, the population of the indigenous pink river dolphin is dwindling. Docile and easy to catch, this near-mythical animal is being hunted to extinction and used as bait for scavenger fish. But two activists are each working tirelessly to raise awareness and protect the species. On the one hand a marine biologist and on the other a famous TV star, each has their own very different approach to their one common goal.

Mademoiselle Paradis
Barbara Albert | Fiction | AT, GE | 2017 | 97 min
Maria Theresia Paradis is blind and a pianist of remarkable talent. After Resi lost her sight, she underwent multiple medical experiments, all without success. The treatments of the controversial miracle doctor Franz Anton Mesmer appear successful, but when her sight returns, her musical virtuosity is declining.

More Human Than Human
Femke Wolting & Tommy Pallotta | Documentary | NE, BE, US | 2018 | 78 min
More Human Than Human explores the complex role of artificial intelligence in our society and the consequences of the use of AI. The film maker investigates the possibilities of a robot replacing him as film maker and tries to explore how much of his creativity and unique human values are threatened to disappear.

Marquis De Wavrin
Luc Plantier & Grace Winter  | Documentaire | BE | 2017 | 84 min
De Wavrin, an etnographer from Belgium, made several journeys to record Indian tribes in the Amazon. His photographs never got famous, his writings are forgotten and parts of film material was damaged. Directors Grace Winter and Luc Plantier dig in history and bring new life to his journeys in this documentary.

Competition & awards

As every year, there is a diverse program with various surprising and compelling films. With more than 45 science films the program is varied and includes feature films, shorts and scientific documentaries. The best science films of the past year have been selected for the competition. A selection of the films is competing to be awarded in two categories. In addition to the NTR Audience Award, the films are reviewed by a student jury and compete for the Student Jury Award. The winning films will be announced on Sunday, November 11th at the Awardshow.

And stay tuned: more film titles will be announced in the coming weeks! On 18 October, ticket sale starts.