Ryan Gosling’s ‘Project Hail Mary’ Wins SFFILM Sloan Science in Cinema Prize

Project Hail Mary from Academy Award-winning filmmakers Phil Lord and Chris Miller has won the prestigious Sloan Science in Cinema Prize, presented by SFFILM and Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.

From Amazon MGM Studios, the film stars Ryan Gosling, Sandra Hüller, James Ortiz, and Lionel Boyce.

In the film, Ryan Gosling is a science teacher who wakes up alone on a spaceship. As his memory returns, he uncovers a mission to stop a mysterious substance killing Earth’s sun, and realizes that an unexpected friendship may be the key. Anne Lai, SFFILM’s Executive Director, explained how support from the Sloan Foundation inspires audiences to understand how intimately science and technology influence our lives, both real and imagined. “Project Hail Mary paints one of the most impossible and imaginative dilemmas in space. And what a roller coaster we get to go on. This deeply entertaining and emotional film never skirts the scientific process, but instead fully embraces it at every turn. This is exactly what the Sloan Science in Cinema Initiative at SFFILM aims to do: celebrate movies that encourage audiences to appreciate and understand science.”

The Sloan Science in Cinema Prize celebrates the compelling depiction of scientific themes or characters in a narrative feature film and is accompanied by a $20,000 cash prize. The special screening and event will take place at the Premier Theater at One Letterman on Wednesday, October 28 at 6:30 pm.

“We’re delighted to award the Sloan Science in Cinema Prize to Phil Lord and Christopher Miller’s Project Hail Mary, an endearing and inventive adaptation of Andy Weir’s best-selling novel,” said Doron Weber, Vice President and Program Director at the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. “What at first glance may seem like fantasy/science fiction becomes a showcase for real scientific discovery, as the film’s protagonists use physics, astronomy, and microbiology to solve existential problems facing a variety of species. Project Hail Mary joins over 900 science and film projects supported by the Sloan Foundation, including previous SFFILM Sloan Science in Cinema Prize winners like Oppenheimer, Twisters, Don’t Look Up, Hidden Figures and The Martian.”

The Sloan Science in Cinema Prize program will feature a special onstage conversation with Academy Award-winning directors and producers Phil Lord and Chris Miller, Academy Award-nominated screenwriter Drew Goddard, Academy Award-winning VFX Supervisor Paul Lambert, Co-VFX Supervisor Mag Sarnowska, and Academy Award-nominated and winning Sound Designers/Supervising Sound Editors Erik Aadahl and Ethan Van der Ryn (E Squared) alongside Dr. Ron Radeztsky, an astrophysical scientist and plasma physicist who served as the astrometric systems modeling engineer for the film. SFFILM’s Director of Programming Jessie Fairbanks is excited to celebrate the art and science of Project Hail Mary with this special event.

She said, “Project Hail Mary is a thrilling reminder that science and curiosity can be the heart of a great adventure. Phil, Chris, and Drew have created a highly entertaining film that makes scientific discovery feel both joyful and accessible. Buoyed by Ryan Gosling’s effortless charm and James Ortiz’s extraordinary performance as Rocky, Project Hail Mary proves that intelligent spectacle can be a delight and an inspiration.”