Fusing the best of science-themed cinema with engaging post-film conversations, Science on Screen is hosted by North Bay writer David Templeton. Known for his long-running film column Talking Pictures, Templeton is the author of the short novel “Mary Shelley’s Body,” adapted into a play in 2017, and the upcoming robot-themed science fiction drama “Galatea.”

Science on Screen kicks off with Robert Zemeckis’ 1997 science-meets-faith drama, the Jodie Foster adventure CONTACT, adapted from the novel by Carl Sagan. The film will be followed by a conversation with Dr. Eugenie Scott, former executive director of the National Center for Science Education, a nonprofit organization supporting teaching of evolutionary science.