Science on Screen, Globally: A Comparative Framework for Analysing Science in Independent Short Films

Independent short films are an emerging cultural venue for representing science and scientists beyond mainstream cinema. Building on Ruão's (2025) analysis of short films at the Braga Science Film Fest, this paper proposes and tests a generalizable coding framework for examining science portrayals across international science-film festivals. The framework categorizes domain of knowledge, demographics, narrative tropes, sociotechnical framing, and aesthetic style. To demonstrate applicability, a pilot analysis of 30 films from two festivals reveals both persistence of certain stereotypes (e.g., overrepresentation of male scientists) and creative departures (e.g., emphasis on community science, ethical dilemmas). Findings suggest independent cinema offers diverse, contextually rich depictions of science that can inform public engagement strategies. The framework is shared openly to enable comparative studies across festivals and years.