Every year, one and a half thousand high school students from around the world fly to Los Angeles to take part in the International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF). All of them have already decided to devote their lives to science. It is of secondary importance whether they win the main awards of the competition or not. The film Science Fair has it all. It is a drama showing the rivalry and intense competition and an observational documentary at the same time. In the film, the teenage scientists are filled with hope, enthusiasm, and ambition. They are confident in their ideas and intentions to believe that they correct the mistakes of previous generations. While adults irresponsibly ignore climate change, dump waste into the world's oceans and fight wars for natural resources, stubborn teenagers are looking for ways to stop dangerous local viruses, rethink aircraft construction and prevent cancer. Along the way, they teach calculators to speak like Shakespeare or create robot-rappers, who rap like Kanye West. Science fair is an inspirational film that fascinates the audiences around the world: it has already won the inaugural Festival Favorite Award at this year's Sundance Film Festival.

What motivates teenagers to achieve success?

The Polytechnic Museum and Mel, a media about education will hold a discussion after the screening of the documentary film Science Fair. At the panel, the psychologist and writer of the book “The Art of Understanding the Child” Galia Nigmetzhanova will discuss how ambition is formed in adolescents. Timur Zhabbarov, co-founder of Smart Course, will reflect on how modern society defines criteria for success. The discussion will be joined by teenagers from SKVT, an experimental project of the Polytechnic Museum. Julia Varshavskaya, creative director of Mel will moderate the discussion