Inventing Tomorrow

The Society for Science & the Public is thrilled to be a part of the film, Inventing Tomorrow – a documentary following students from Mexico, India, Indonesia and Hawaii as they prepare for the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair, which is created and produced by the Society for Science & the Public. The film was selected to compete and premiere at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival in the U.S. Documentary category.

Poster for Inventing Tomorrow 2018

Inventing Tomorrow has been shown in festivals including:

  • Sundance Film Festival
  • Hot Docs
  • San Francisco International Film Festival
  • Full Frame
  • Seattle International Film Festival – Grand Jury Prize Winner

We were approached by the Inventing Tomorrow team more than two years ago with an intriguing idea: they wanted to attend Intel ISEF 2017 because they were interested in filming a documentary about our competition.

They came and were blown away by the stories, the energy and the excitement of Intel ISEF — more than 1,800 students from more than 75 countries, regions and territories all coming together to share their science. These are all students who saw a problem or challenge in their world, and turned to science to find a solution.

During the year leading up to the Intel ISEF 2017, the Society worked closely with the film team as they identified potential students to follow for their documentary. We connected them with fair directors across the globe, enabling the Inventing Tomorrow team to find some truly amazing and inspiring students.

On the ground at Intel ISEF 2017

It was exciting to host the Inventing Tomorrow team for two “firsts” on behalf of the Society:

  • Each year, we host a pin exchange that is closed to everyone but the finalists. No parents. No fair directors. No reporters. During the exchange, the finalists have an opportunity to meet one another and share pins from their states, countries, or regions. In 2017, for the first time, we opened the doors, giving access to Inventing Tomorrow.
  • With the students’ permission, we let the Inventing Tomorrow team film the judging. This was another first for the Society: allowing any member of the media to record or witness the judging process.
ISEF 2018 At the Pin Exchange

About the Film:

Inventing Tomorrow / U.S.A. (Director: Laura Nix, Producers: Diane Becker, Melanie Miller, Laura Nix) — Meet passionate teenage innovators from around the globe who are creating cutting-edge solutions to confront the world’s environmental threats – found right in their own backyards – while navigating the doubts and insecurities that mark adolescence. Take a journey with these inspiring teens as they prepare their projects for the largest convening of high school scientists in the world, the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF).

Filming at Intel ISEF 2017

We’re thrilled to see so many others are excited to see the film too:

INVENTING TOMORROW - Official HD Trailer

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