Developing an advanced selection framework for film festivals

Despite the increasing prevalence of misinformation in many documentary films today, film festivals have not developed a systematic way to verify their accuracy and credibility. This gap in the film selection process can compromise the integrity of science communication and reduce public trust. To address this issue, we (three UBC Environmental Science students) partnered with the British Columbia Environmental Film Festival Society (BCEFF) to develop an advanced film selection framework that ensures selected films are scientifically sound and present minimal bias. We drew from existing fact-checking processes and consulted with experts in the film industry, such as filmmakers, producers, directors, and festival organizers. These consultations ensured the framework would be practical, feasible, and aligned with the industry’s needs. The core components of this framework are a filmmaker questionnaire, a scoring system, and detailed handbooks to guide the process. These tools were trialled on past films submitted to BCEFF with internal mock evaluations, peer evaluations with students from the University of British Columbia, and evaluations from film industry experts. The results demonstrated a high consistency across different reviewer groups, indicating that the framework is effective in assessing the film’s accuracy. However, the trials also revealed a need for clearer definitions and refinements within the tools to further enhance consistency. The final robust film selection framework provides an effective and simple way to evaluate and screen films for misinformation. It serves as a foundational tool that other science film festivals can adapt and build upon to enhance the accuracy and credibility of their program. The advanced film selection framework will be piloted in BCEFF’s 2025 film festival to determine the efficacy and efficiency of our framework in a live festival scenario. This framework has the potential to create broader systemic change within the film industry, encouraging filmmakers to adopt higher standards of scientific accuracy and fostering a culture of responsible storytelling.