SFFILM just handed its Sloan Science in Cinema Prize to Phil Lord and Chris Miller’s Project Hail Mary, and they’re backing it up with a $20,000 check and a splashy event.

The prize celebrates films that make science central to the story, not just window dressing. Project Hail Mary, starring Ryan Gosling as a lone science teacher on a spaceship racing to save Earth’s dying sun, fits the bill. The adaptation of Andy Weir’s novel leans hard into physics, astronomy, and microbiology to solve its interstellar crisis.

“This deeply entertaining and emotional film never skirts the scientific process, but instead fully embraces it at every turn,” says Anne Lai, SFFILM’s Executive Director.

The celebration happens October 28 at San Francisco’s Premier Theater at One Letterman. Lord, Miller, and screenwriter Drew Goddard will join VFX Supervisor Paul Lambert, Sound Designers Erik Aadahl and Ethan Van der Ryn, and Dr. Ron Radeztsky, the astrophysical scientist who worked on the film’s astrometric modeling. Expect a deep dive into how they balanced spectacle with actual science.

Past winners include Oppenheimer, Twisters, Don’t Look Up, Hidden Figures, and The Martian. The Sloan Foundation has backed over 900 science and film projects, trying to close the gap between hard science and Hollywood storytelling.

For indie filmmakers chasing authenticity, this prize proves there’s an appetite for smart science on screen, not just CGI explosions.