Posted October 27, 2025
JBFC Awarded Science on Screen Grant for 2025–26 Programming
The JBFC is one of 41 independent cinemas awarded the grant by the Coolidge Corner Theater and Alfred P. Sloan Foundation
The Jacob Burns Film Center (JBFC) is proud to announce it has been selected as one of 41 independent cinemas to receive a prestigious Science on Screen® grant from the Coolidge Corner Theatre and the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. This renewed $7,500 grant will support the JBFC in presenting a new series of Science on Screen events throughout the 2025–26 season, continuing its mission to connect film and science through engaging, community-driven programming.
Last year’s Science on Screen programming at the JBFC featured three events that brought science to life through film, in partnership with local institutions:
- A JBFC Kids screening of A Bug’s Life followed by a hands-on “meet, greet, and learn” with real-life bugs presented by the Greenburgh Nature Center.
- A screening of On the Invention of Species featured a conversation with Professor Andrew Wier of Pace University’s Biology Department, who shared his firsthand knowledge of the Galápagos Islands and his research conducted there.
- Prior to a screening of Silent Running, Jacob Reiter, Conservation Center Manager at Pace University’s Suburban Biodiversity Conservation Center, gave a presentation on the importance of biodiversity and its role in our future.
“We’re thrilled to continue this partnership and to build on the success of last year’s programs,” said JBFC Executive Director Mary Jo Ziesel. “At the Burns, we’ve seen how film can make scientific ideas accessible, engaging, and even magical. With support from the renewed Science on Screen grant, we’re excited to continue inspiring curiosity and spark meaningful dialogue about the world around us.”
The Science on Screen initiative distributes grants totaling $250,000 to cinemas, museums, and community groups across the country, with JBFC recognized for the quality of its proposed programming and its deep connection to the local community. The program, which is a partnership between the Coolidge Corner Theatre and the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, seeks to inspire curiosity and engagement with science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) through creative pairings of films with expert presentations.
About the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation
The New York-based Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, founded in 1934, makes grants in three areas: research in science, technology, and economics; quality and diversity of scientific institutions; and public engagement with science. Sloan's program in Public Understanding of Science and Technology, directed by Doron Weber, supports books, radio, film, television, theater and new media to reach a wide, non-specialized audience and to bridge the two cultures of science and the humanities.
About the Coolidge Corner Theatre
The nonprofit Coolidge Corner Theatre is a premier American independent cinema renowned for its curated feature film programming and innovative signature educational, cultural, and entertainment programs. A beloved movie house, the Coolidge has been pleasing audiences with the best in cinematic entertainment since 1933.
