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From planets to penicillin and artificial intelligence to vaping, short science videos made by young Irish filmmakers have been celebrated at the 11^th Annual ReelLIFE SCIENCE Awards in University of Galway.

The event took place on Sunday November 12 as part of Science Week 2023 and the 26^th Galway Science and Technology Festival.

More than 400 short science films were entered into the competition created by 2,600 young science enthusiasts in 131 schools and youth groups taking part across the island of Ireland.

The winning videos, which can be viewed below, were selected by a panel of guest judges including science communicator and engineer Dr Niamh Shaw; RTÉJr TV presenter and scientist Mark ‘The Science Guy’ Langtry; and the 2023 BT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition winners, Liam Carew and Shane O’Connor.

ReelLIFE SCIENCE is based in the University of Galway College of Science and Engineering and is supported by the Science Foundation Ireland Discover Programme, the CÚRAM Centre for Research in Biomedical Devices, Cell EXPLORERS, Foróige and the Galway Science and Technology Festival. 

Primary School Winners

1^st Prize Primary School Twenty-two talented fourth class students from Gaelscoil Riabhach in Loughrea, Co. Galway, along with their teacher Brian Ó Meacháin, won the €1,000 first prize for their video ‘Creatha Talún’ explaining earthquakes and visualising volcanoes.

Runners-up Primary School Fourth class students from Lissivigeen National School, Killarney, Co. Kerry brought us on a trip around the solar system in ‘The Science Video’

3rd Place Primary School Students from Abbey Primary School from Boyle, Co. Roscommon finished third with a history of penicillin in ‘The Messy Mistake that Changed the World’.

Post-Primary School Winners

1^st Prize Post-Primary Gabriel McCrystal, Shaun Irimpan and Frankie Zak, transition year students from Coláiste Na Mí, Navan, Co. Meath, dramatised the effects of vaping in young people in ‘This is Bob’ and claimed the €1,000 first prize.

Runners-up Post-Primary Mahveen Farooq and Olivia Penfold from Loreto Secondary School, Kilkenny answered the question ‘Is There a Connection Between Handedness and Dominant Eyes?’

3rd Place Post-Primary James Molloy from Belvedere College, Dublin was awarded third place, for developing a diagnostic artificial intelligence model in ‘Using AI to Diagnose X-Rays’.  

Youth Organisation Winners

1^st Prize Youth Organisation Young filmmaker and musician Arden Oakes, from Grow Music, Dundalk, Co. Lough, won the €1,000 youth group prize for his video ‘How the Ear Works’.

Runners-up Youth Organisation – Bruff Scout Group, Limerick came second for ‘The Science of Scouting Burns and how to treat them’.

3rd Prize Youth Organisation Third place went to Arranmore Island UBU Foróige Club, Co. Donegal who coded a ‘Dancing Robot’.

Special Category Awards

Bandonbridge National School, Bandon, Co. Cork	Junior Scientists Award
Scoil Phádraig, Westport, Co. Mayo	Best Acting Award
Sooey National School, Sooey, Co. Sligo	Best Costumes Award
Bullaun National School, Loughrea, Co. Galway	Teamwork Award
King’s Hospital School, Dublin 20	Science and Me Award
Laurel Hill Coláiste FCJ, Limerick	Animation Award
Alexandra College, Dublin 6	Best Science Song
Loreto College, Dublin 2	Being Green Award
Erris Foróige Youth Service, Belmullet, Co. Mayo	Comedy Award
Foróige Eastside Youth Service, Galway	Science in Real Life Award

Addressing the finalists at the event via video message, competition judge Dr. Niamh Shaw said, “I have every faith that we have a very healthy future ahead of us because we have a country full of really great science explainers. Never lose that passion that you have to share how you understand science and how you see the world.”

The ReelLIFE SCIENCE programme challenges young people in schools and youth groups across the island of Ireland to engage with science and technology while developing their communication and digital skills, by producing short educational videos for the public.

Since being launched in 2013 by a team of scientists from the University of Galway College of Science and Engineering, this challenge has been met by over 26,000 young people, supported by teachers and staff in 750 schools and youth groups.

ReelLIFE SCIENCE Founding Director Dr Enda O’Connell said,: “Congratulations to all the winners today, but also to every young person who demonstrated their passion for science and science communication by taking part in ReelLIFE SCIENCE this year. A special word of thanks to all the teachers and youth workers who nurture this passion, and through these videos, engage, inform and inspire the public.”

ReelLIFE SCIENCE Movie Posters 2023

The finalists of ‘ReelLIFE SCIENCE @ HOME 2020’ are today announced as WILLIAM STOKES, representing Baltydaniel NS (Newtwopothouse, Co. Cork), ENYA O’REILLY HUERTA, representing Naas Community College (Naas, Co. Kildare) and MAX KAMALARAJAH, representing Wallace High School (Lisburn, Co. Antrim).

From a total entry of 133 videos, made by hundreds of young science communicators representing 80 primary schools, secondary schools and youth groups around Ireland, these three videos were judged to be the best by a volunteer panel of 40 NUI Galway scientists and science students, based on their scientific content, production values and x-factor. Continue reading “ReelLIFE SCIENCE @ HOME Finalists Announced – time for YOU to vote!” →