“Heroes of Science”: Breakthrough Filmmakers Challenge

VISION STATEMENT

In March 2020, TheWrap and the Breakthrough Prize Foundation set out to find 6 visionary filmmakers with the ability to make engaging, original, accurate short films about a selection of Breakthrough Prize laureates.

The ‘Breakthrough Filmmakers Challenge’ accepted proposals that focused on the character of the laureate, an event in their lives, a particular theoretical/experimental breakthrough, or their impact on the world. These proposal treatments were evaluated by industry professionals, competing for one of six winning spots.

The six winners received a $5,000 cash prize and an opportunity to enter into a contract to create a short video film about one of the selected Breakthrough Prize Laureates, along with a $25,000 budget to produce their short film (subject to the Rules and Conditions).

What is the Breakthrough Prize? Learn more here.

Sharon Waxman (Founder & Editor in Chief, TheWrap) and Clare Burgess (Director of Relations, Breakthrough Prize) presenting the Breakthrough Filmmakers Challenge at the 2020 Sundance Festival cocktail party.

HOW TO APPLY

The ‘Breakthrough Filmmakers Challenge’ accepted proposal focusing on the character of the laureate, an event in their lives, a particular theoretical/experimental breakthrough, or their impact on the world. These proposal treatments were evaluated by industry professionals, competing for one of six winning spots.

Proposals highlighted the work of one of these Breakthrough Prize Laureates: Ed Boyden, Joanne Chory, Jennifer Doudna, Fabiola Gianotti, Svante Pääbo, Terence Tao, Kip Thorne, Cumrum Vafa, Huda Zoghbi, or Shep Doeleman and the Event Horizon Telescope Team.

(Full bios available here.)

RULES AND CONDITIONS

The contest required filmmakers to submit a creative proposal for a short film about one of the past, contest selected, Breakthrough Prize laureates.

The proposals were based on desktop research. Filmmakers were not allowed to contact any Laureate directly for purposes of producing their proposal.

EACH PROPOSAL MUST INCLUDE:

A creative treatment (one page) based on a maximum $25,000 USD production budget, detailing how they would approach a documentary about their chosen Breakthrough Prize laureate, incorporating both the scientist and their recognized work
Director’s statement (half‐page) Director’s biography (half‐page)
Visual references (up to three pages)
Detailed breakdown of production budget (one page)
Proposed composition of production team (one page)
An example of the filmmaker’s previous documentary work (short or feature) (one page)
View Complete List of Rules & Guidelines here

CLICK TO SUBMIT

JURORS

Diane Quon

Producer and Marketing Executive

Dian Quon is an Academy Award-nominated producer who worked as a marketing executive for 17 years at NBC and at Paramount Pictures before moving back…

Sharon Waxman

Founder and Editor in Chief | TheWrap

Sharon Waxman, CEO and Editor in Chief, is an award-winning journalist, best-selling author and the founder of TheWrap. She is also the creator of TheGrill…

Mark Levinson

Director and Producer, "Particle Fever"

Mark Levinson is the director and producer of the award-winning documentary feature Particle Fever about the discovery of the Higgs boson at the Large Hadron…

Adam Rosenthal

Writer

Adam Rosenthal is writer based in London, England. He has written science documentaries and docu-dramas that have aired on the BBC, Discovery and History Channel,…

Lucy Hawking

Author

Lucy Hawking graduated from Oxford and started her writing career in journalism, working for newspapers, radio and New York Magazine before becoming an author. Her…

Jo Dunkley

Professor of Physics and Astrophysical Sciences | Princeton University

She shared the 2018 Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics with the WMAP team for their work mapping the early Universe, and also won this year’s…

CONTACT

BREAKTHROUGH FILMMAKERS CHALLENGE

TheWrap
2260 S. Centinela Ave, Suite 150,
Los Angeles, CA, 90064

GENERAL INFORMATION

For General Questions about submissions and eligibility,

please contact Drea Clark, Director of Programming,

Breakthrough Filmmakers Challenge at:

HeroesOfScience@thewrap.com

Drea Clark

Director of Programming | Breakthrough Filmmakers Challenge