- Filmmaker Masoud Varjavandi found strength watching Star Trek while growing up in a Baha’i family persecuted in Iran during the 1980s.
- Today, he shares stories for a better future through Canberra’s Space Faring Civilisation Film Festival, purposely timed during National Science Week each August.
- Free media training and support (available to registered Science Week participants) equipped him with the skills and confidence to tell a personal story that ‘spans continents, war zones and starships’.
“Instead of seeing media coverage as a long shot, I now see it as a skill that I can develop…”
– Masoud Varjavandi, SFC Film Festival director
For refugee-turned-filmmaker Masoud Varjavandi, there’s no question his ‘one small step’ to register the annual Space Faring Civilisation Film Festival during National Science Week turned into a giant leap for audience growth.
“Our main mission is to use film as a tool for science communication and shift public perception of science towards a more hopeful and human-centred future,” says Masoud, who launched the independent film festival in 2021, dove-tailing it with Science Week each August.
The festival showcases sci-fi and documentary shorts that tap into the vision of building a positive space faring civilisation guided by science: from astronomy and physics to health, climate change, social sciences, ecology, and more.
Masoud said aligning the program with National Science Week attracted a wider and more diverse audience, while also boosting credibility, structure and purpose. In 2025, it attracted 460 people.
“National Science Week offers an amazing platform to connect with curious minds and bring science to new audiences – whether you’re a scientist, artist, teacher, or community organiser,” he said.
“It’s not just about big institutions… even small, grassroots initiatives like mine can have a real impact. The experience of participating in Science Week is incredible, helping us grow our audience, build industry connections – both in science and film – while highlighting the value of science in everyday life.”
Masoud praised support and advice provided by a national network including the team at Questacon, Inspiring Australia ACT and Science in Public.
In 2025, he signed up to ‘Meet the Media’, an online media training forum for registered Science Week event organisers, organised by Science in Public with involvement of working journalists from TV, radio and print.
As Masoud explains, it provided his ‘Eureka moment’.
“It taught me how to shape my story for media, write a press release, and tailor pitches to journalists,” he said.
“It also shifted my thinking about media engagement. Instead of seeing media coverage as a long shot, I now see it as a skill I can develop. I’ll be applying these lessons next year with even more lead time.”
As the national publicist for Science Week since 2015, Science in Public helps identify news value in more than 2,000 registered events to create story pitches and media highlights by state/territory and according to themes, including food, arts and books, future of farming, disabilities, education, environment, wildlife, Indigenous, family-friendly, lifestyle and more.
Science Week participants can also access mentoring and advice via media training workshops and how-to guides, covering everything from tips on writing a great event description to the importance of visuals, using social media and attracting media attention.
“The media training workshop and resources were especially helpful, giving me the skills to reach out to outlets, resulting in a radio interview on 2CC, a feature in Region Canberra [read article] and a shoutout from ArtSound FM, which wouldn’t have happened without Science in Public’s guidance,” Masoud said.
“I also appreciated how accessible the team was. When I had questions, I got clear and thoughtful answers.
“Easy access to Science Week branding and an event holder’s toolkit also helped give our festival a polished feel, and the confidence to present ourselves as part of a larger national movement.”
Masoud is already planning a bigger event to coincide with National Science Week 2026.
“We’re going to expand the SFC Film Festival to include screenings in Sydney, Brisbane, and the Gold Coast, with Canberra remaining the festival hub,” he said, with an aim of expanding attendees to 3,000.
“We’ll also have a dedicated red carpet award ceremony, youth program, and a science film beginners initiative. We’re aiming to include a wider range of filmmakers, learners and audiences across Australia and beyond.”
In terms of advice for individuals or organisations wanting to participate in Science Week, he joins a growing consensus:
“Start early! The earlier you register and prepare, the more benefit you get from Science in Public and National Science Week’s resources and exposure.
And be open to collaboration. I’ve had meaningful conversations with educators, researchers, and creators just because they saw us listed as an official event.”
Submissions are now open for the 2026 SFC Film Festival: https://filmfreeway.com/SFCFestival
National Science Week 2026 runs from Saturday 15 to Sunday 23 August.
For news and updates, including how and when to register your National Science Week 2026 events, apply for grants and more, visit: https://www.scienceweek.net.au/