Directed by Cristina Costantini and Darren Foster, Science Fair is a National Geographic Documentary. The movie follows nine high school students from around the globe as they navigate rivalries, setbacks and, even hormones, on their journey to compete at the International Science and Engineering Fair.

Word on the street is the movie is “immensely likable,” “brilliant and quirky” and an “ode to the teenage science geeks on who our future depends.”

The documentary is the winner of both the audience award at Sundance and SXSW. Costantini and Foster are award-winning documentary filmmakers. “The idea of doing a documentary about science fair has been an obsession of mine since I first went to the International Science and Engineering Fair as a freshman in high school in 2004. I had seen Spellbound the year before and when I got to ISEF, I thought, someone, needs to make a documentary about this crazy little world. It had everything — an international cast of angsty teenagers and inspiring prodigies, all devoted to one very niche subculture, and all striving to make the world a better place,” explained Costantini.

Foster added, “ I was a science kid, too, and participated in a science fair, but the level that Cristina competed at was another world. What really sold me was this story about how she skipped the opportunity to go to the junior prom with her high school crush so she could compete at a science fair. I won’t do the story justice, you’ll have to ask Cristina, but it was the nerdiest thing I ever heard. I was in.”

Any parent who has helped or encouraged their child or children through a Science Fair needs to see this documentary.  The movie trailer is uplifting. I imagine the movie is super-uplifting. 

Here is a great interview with the two directors.