Join Beamafilm for a Cinematic Celebration of Curiosity
The most powerful scientific ideas aren't just published in journals - they're also captured and presented through compelling, cinematic storytelling. Documentaries can open a window to see the world in new ways, and movies can transport us on an adventure of discovery.
This week, we’re celebrating exploration and critical thinking with a curated, thought-provoking collection of science-focused films that illuminate the breakthroughs, ethical dilemmas, and pioneers shaping the future.
Celebrate scientific discovery, innovation, and the wonder that fuels progress all week long with Beamafilm’s Science on Screen collection, curated especially for Science Week 2025. From decoding the mysteries of the brain to confronting the ethics of gene editing, science doesn’t just shape our world - it transforms how we understand it.
Science and Society: Voices of Change
The Seismic Sense: Explore how cutting-edge geological research is helping scientists predict and prepare for the Earth’s most powerful natural forces.
The Food Race: How will we feed a growing global population? This timely film explores the sustainability challenges and scientific innovations poised to reshape our food systems.
Women in Science: Hear from physicists Claudia de Rham, Jenny Nelson, Joanna Haigh, and mathematician Ian Stewart as they reflect on the persistent gender gap in science — and why representation in STEM matters more than ever.
Tech, Ethics, and the Future of Life
The CRISPR Revolution - Genome Editing: The possibilities of medicine, food, and reproduction are being changed by CRISPR, but where do we draw the line? This sobering and essential documentary examines the ethical tightrope of editing life itself.
Darwin in Times Square - The Science of Evolution: Unexpected findings open a new chapter on Darwin’s theory of evolution. In our cities, researchers notice how quickly animals and plants adapt to new environments, often within just decades.
Ocean's Monopoly: A geopolitical crime-thriller following a small group of geologists who uncover the global battle for control of ocean territories.
Inside the Mind: Emotion, Memory, and the Human Brain
The Science of Emotions: Why do we smile, laugh, and crave connection? Join psychologist Barbara Fredrickson as she unpacks the evolutionary roots of joy and the science behind leading a more flourishing life.
Examining the Brain: From autism research to neural mapping, five top neuroscientists explore how recent breakthroughs are reshaping what we know about the brain — its structures, predictive power, and disorders.
Memory(Coming Soon): Is memory fixed or flexible? This riveting documentary moves from cutting-edge laboratories to memory competitions to reveal the brain’s remarkable (and sometimes unreliable) recall system.
Science That Shapes Our Planet
Volcano: Venture into New Zealand’s most breathtaking volcanic regions, where researchers and adventurers risk it all to study Earth’s most explosive natural phenomena.
World of Oceans: Marine life experts explore the mysteries and biodiversity of Earth’s oceans, revealing astonishing ecosystems and threats they face.
Antarctica - Tales from the End of the World: Across icebergs and frigid seas, seals, seabirds, and emperor penguins are at home in one of the harshest environments on Earth.
For Curious Classrooms and Community Groups
Beamafilm proudly supports public libraries, councils, and schools across Australia. All of these titles are available to stream for free through participating library networks and educational institutions.
Whether you’re screening a science documentary in a school hall, encouraging STEM engagement at your local library, or simply in search of a mind-expanding watch, this is the week to dive in.
Celebrating a Week of Cinematic Science
Celebrate National Science Week by engaging with stories that question, inspire, and educate. Explore the intersection of storytelling and scientific discovery, and stream documentaries that spark curiosity and open minds.
Visit beamafilm.com or access your library’s Beamafilm portal today.
Not a member yet? Ask your library if they offer Beamafilm access — or get in touch, and we’ll help connect the dots.
1840s England, acclaimed but overlooked fossil hunter Mary Anning and a young woman sent to convalesce by the sea develop an intense relationship, altering both of their lives forever.
Love, science, sex, infidelity, disease and comedy, the wild, mostly true story of the irrepressible Annie Parker and the almost discovery of a cure for cancer.
With Carbon in the news every day, you might think you know everything about her. But you’d be wrong. This spectacular and surprisingly unorthodox documentary reveals the paradoxical story of the element that builds all life,...
Is it the latest gene scandal or a blessing for medicine and agriculture? CRISPR is a new tool in the gene laboratory which allows scientists to change the genetic material of all living organisms with great precision. Researchers are...
A true-to-life tale set in Zurich and Vienna on the eve of World War I, exploring the relationships between fledgeling psychiatrist Carl Jung, his mentor Sigmund Freud and Sabina Spielrein.
If the world's food production is at peak, why does a child die of hunger every second? The film reveals causes & impacts of the food supply imbalance and explores ways to feed the growing population.
With five loyal friends in tow, legendary explorer Thor Heyerdahl sails a fragile balsa wood raft along an ancient path some 4,300 miles across the Pacific.
Award-winning director Damon Gameau explores what the future would look like by the year 2040 if we embraced the best solutions currently available to improve our planet & shifted them to the mainstream.
He was said to be the 'First European', our mystic brother out of the ice age. It was in 1856 when the first bones of this prehistoric man where discovered in Germany. Since that time the Neanderthal is surrounded by mystery. How...
In this wide-ranging conversation Barbara Fredrickson, Director Positive Emotions & Psychology Laboratory at UNC Chapel Hill, provides captivating insights into her groundbreaking work on the science of positive emotions...
Sepideh wants to become an astronaut. But the expectations for a young Iranian woman are very different from Sepideh's ambitions, and her plans to go to university are in danger.
Professor James Murray begins work compiling words for the first edition of the Oxford English Dictionary in the mid 19th century, and receives over 10,000 entries from a patient at Broadmoor Criminal Lunatic Asylum, Dr....
Three celebrated physicists—Claudia de Rham, Jenny Nelson, Joanna Haigh (all at Imperial College London)—and one renowned mathematician—Ian Stewart (University of Warwick)—provide their unique perspectives on the issue of...
Earthquake prediction is perhaps modern science’s greatest failure. Geologists use sophisticated methods to study seismic activity but are still nowhere near a prediction. Some scientists take a different approach. Studying snakes, toads,...
Journeying into some of New Zealand's most remote and stunning locations, Volcano: Creation & Destruction, follows researchers and adventurers on the ground at the bleeding edge of science.
Scientists and engineers dream of a manned mission to Mars – it’s a place where life is possible. The race is on to get there: nine months out and nine months back.
Humanity is in the midst of an energy revolution. To save our climate, we must phase out fossil fuels. But wind and solar power aren't always available. This science documentary explores the exciting race to develop new energy...
Are algorithms good or bad? Or just tools we have created to help us live better lives? Anjan Sundaram – author, journalist and mathematician – travels the world to meet with people designing this code.
Whetū Mārama: Bright Star is the story of Sir Hekenukumai Ngaiwi Puhipi, aka Hek Busby, and his significance for Māori in rekindling their wayfinding DNA and for all New Zealanders in reclaiming our place as traditional star voyagers...
Who owns the oceans? The game has just begun. The players: countries from all over the world. Their playing field: the Oceans. Ocean’s Monopoly’ is a crime - thriller starring a small group of geologists who help us to uncover the...
Unexpected findings open up a new chapter on Darwin's theory of evolution. In our cities of all places, animals and plants adapt particularly quickly to new living conditions, often in a few decades. The researchers are amazed.
Inside a spaceship at Jiuquan Launch Facility, three men sit on top of 500 tons of liquid fuel. A controlled explosion will blast them three hundred kilometers into space, and into the record books. This is China’s next great leap into space...
Beamafilm is a premium video streaming service that specialises in delivering digital library video collections and academic streaming media to educational & public libraries, B2B institutions, & cultural organisations across the globe.
