The annual Sci-On! Film Festival returns to the Fleischmann Planetarium and Science Center for its 11th year from May 1-3. This internationally recognized film festival features Q&As with film directors, awards and more.

The festival has received hundreds of submissions from over 55 countries. The most outstanding are nominated for awards including best science film and best science fiction film, both live action and animated, including the Roddenberry Audience Choice Award.

“Once again we were blown away by the quality of the films – and by the amazing participants who are coming to join us,” Paul McFarlane, director of the Fleischmann Planetarium, said.

Each night will feature an in-person introduction to the “Secrets of the Universe” dome show by UC Davis physics professor Manuel Calderón de la Barca Sánchez, who is featured in the film, followed by a Q&A after the show.

Calderón, a particle physicist who used the Large Hadron Collider for his groundbreaking research dramatically showcased in the film, is also an alpine skier, and provides the point of view perspective for this visually-stunning IMAX production, shown for one of the first times ever in a dome format for the Fleischmann Planetarium.

May 1: The festival will kick off with a live performance of sci-fi-inspired music performed by Reno Philharmonic violinist Jessica Escobar. Following “Secrets of the Universe,” the three finalists in the science documentary category will be screened. The documentaries explore the organic compounds found by the Osiris Rex mission, dark skies and Indigenous culture in New Zealand and spacecraft that can harness the sun’s power for use on Earth. The audience will once again be voting to choose this year’s overall winner.

May 2: Night two of the festival features ten live action and animated short finalists. The audience is invited to vote for best in each category.

May 3: To close out the film festival, audiences can see a selection of winning films and a selection of honorable mentions – as well as one last screening of “Secrets of the Universe” with the live introduction and Q&A by the star of the film. These will be the last screenings to be held in the Fleischmann Planetarium’s original 1963 dome.

Tickets are $15 for the general public and $10 for students and seniors. Tickets are available for purchase online. More information about the featured films is available on the Sci-On! website.

The Fleischmann Planetarium is hosting the festival before undergoing transformative renovations, including installation of a new LED display technology in what will be the George W. Gillemot Dome. The exhibit hall will be open during some of the renovations (check the Fleischmann Planetarium website for updates).

“Here’s our chance for one last ‘hurrah’ before we begin construction on the new dome, though we will still have an interim mobile dome for pre-arranged small group programs and field trips,” McFarlane said. “We want to make sure we can continue to explore the universe even while we are building the new LED Planetarium of the Future. We’ll continue to reach for the stars.”