We Are Stardust Wins the First ZFF Science Award

We Are Stardust has won the first ever ZFF Science Award at the 22nd Zurich Film Festival. The winners were announced on Saturday 3 October 2026.

In its citation, the jury said:

"The Science Award goes to WE ARE STARDUST, for showing how open-mindedness, passion and stubborn digging can lead to groundbreaking scientific discoveries that delight the entire research community."

The new award brings science and cinema together, honouring films that open up a genuine field of knowledge and invite audiences to look closer. Elisabeth Rasmussen's feature was chosen from a shortlist of six films exploring entomology, glaciology, marine biology, robotics, longevity and — in We Are Stardust — the science of micrometeorites.

The jury was made up of Dr. Mirko Bischofberger (Science Studios), Prof. Dr. Thomas Michaels (ETH Zurich) and Prof. Nicola Spaldin (ETH Zurich, Vice President of the European Research Council).

The film also screened in the festival's Documentary Competition, in the running for the Golden Eye for Best International Documentary Film. The win adds to a festival run that began with the world premiere at the Thessaloniki International Documentary Festival and continued through CPH:DOX, Haugesund and Visioni dal Mondo, with PRIX EUROPA to follow in Berlin this month.

Read the awards report in Variety, or find out more about the film on the Zurich Film Festival website.

Visit wearestardustfilm.com for more information.