Zero Gravity Lifts off on Documentary Showcase
DOCUMENTARY SHOWCASE airs Fridays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Scientology Network.
In Zero Gravity, middle school students from San Jose, California, enter a nationwide NASA tournament to code satellites aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Led by an inspiring first-time coach, the team rises from budding digital dreamers to ultimately represent California in the ISS finals tournament—where astronauts execute the young coders' algorithms in orbit, 250 miles above Earth.
Directed by Thomas Verrette, the film follows the kids' transformation and serves as a powerful reminder: the future begins with those bold enough to imagine it.
An official selection at over 70 film festivals—including DOC NYC, Cinequest and the Cleveland International Film Festival—Zero Gravity has won 18 documentary awards from Audience Choice to Best Editing. Endorsed by scientists and educators, the film has reached more than 10,000 students nationwide through classroom and community screenings.
ABOUT THOMAS VERRETTE
Thomas Verrette is an award-winning director, producer and editor. A more than 15-year veteran of the film industry, Verrette is a former FOX and Disney creative and post-production executive. He is most known for producing the 20-episode World Cup docu-series Phenoms for FOX Sports. Verrette began his career upon graduating from the Savannah College of Art and Design. Zero Gravity is his first feature documentary as a director.
ABOUT DOCUMENTARY SHOWCASE
Fundamental to Scientology is a humanitarian mission that extends to some 200 nations with programs for human rights, human decency, literacy, morality, drug prevention and disaster relief. For this reason, the Scientology Network provides a platform for Independent filmmakers who embrace a vision of building a better world.
DOCUMENTARY SHOWCASE debuts films weekly from award-winning Independent filmmakers whose goal is to improve society by raising awareness of social, cultural and environmental issues.
For more information, visit scientology.tv/docs.
Scientology Network debuted on March 12, 2018, launched by David Miscavige, ecclesiastical leader of the Scientology religion. Since then, Scientology Network has been viewed in over 240 countries and territories worldwide in 17 languages. Satisfying the curiosity of people about Scientology, the network takes viewers across six continents, spotlighting the everyday lives of Scientologists, showing the Church as a global organization and presenting its Social Betterment programs that have touched the lives of millions worldwide. The network also showcases documentaries by Independent filmmakers who represent a cross section of cultures and faiths, but share a common purpose of uplifting communities. Scientology Network's innovative content has been recognized with more than 125 industry awards, including Tellys, Communitas and Hermes Creative Awards.
Broadcast from Scientology Media Productions, the Church's global media center in Los Angeles, Scientology Network is available on DIRECTV Channel 320, DIRECTV STREAM and AT&T U-verse and can be streamed at scientology.tv, on mobile apps and via the Roku, Amazon Fire and Apple TV platforms.
View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/zero-gravity-lifts-off-on-documentary-showcase-302475787.html
SOURCE Church of Scientology International
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Forbes
35 minutes ago
- Forbes
The Apollo 13 Storytelling Blueprint Business Leaders Should Use To Motivate Teams
The opening scene of Apollo 13, the film based on astronaut James Lovell's harrowing space ordeal, doesn't start with his transmission to mission control: 'Houston, we've had a problem.' Instead, we see Tom Hanks (playing Lovell) at a house party along with his family and other astronauts who are gathered around a television to watch Neil Armstrong set foot on the moon. Lovell had circled the moon in Apollo 8, and the Apollo 13 mission was going to be his turn to land on it. But everything changed after an oxygen tank exploded on the space capsule, turning the mission into an epic story of survival and rescue. The story—and quote—has been repeated in articles and social media tributes celebrating Lovell and his legacy. He died at the age of 97. But if you watch the movie, you'll have to wait nearly an hour before Hanks says the now-famous line (shortened in the film to Houston, we have a problem). The reason director Ron Howard chose to place the scene where he did is a technique of great storytelling, a skill business leaders should learn if they hope to inspire their audiences. A Hero's Journey Lovell's experience aboard Apollo 13 and the rest of his life on Earth follow a classic storytelling arc that's proven to be irresistible. The Hero's Journey, a storytelling structure that mythologist Joseph Campbell identified as a classic framework, follows a hero who leaves the safety of home to pursue a grand adventure where they face trials, challenges, and near-death experiences. They return from the experience transformed and use their newfound wisdom to make their community a better place. Think of the hero's journey as stages that take place within three acts, a template that nearly all successful Hollywood movies follow: Act I. The set-up. The hero's ordinary world (Tom Hanks at the watch party). Act II. The problem. The explosion and all the problems that it triggered, any one of which could have ended the lives of the three-man crew. Act III. The resolution and return. Lovell and his crew didn't just survive. He reframed the mission as a 'successful failure' and helped to transform NASA's crisis management processes. Act one is essential in the telling of a story because it makes the characters relatable. Once the audience cares about the people in the story, they're more invested in the challenges the characters face in the second act, and the resolution becomes even more satisfying. The Hero's Journey framework stands the test of time because we recognize the pattern in our real lives. That's why filmmakers follow it, and so can you. The Leader Storyteller For example, let's say you're a business leader who needs to motivate your team to complete a project under a tight deadline. Instead of telling them what to do and leaving them to get it done, you can share a story from your own experience. Act 1. You might start by painting a picture of a similar position you were once in, facing an immovable deadline that you thought would be impossible to meet. Explain how the task was formidable at first because it required moving from your ordinary world to an unfamiliar one, such as having more responsibility, etc. Act 2. Reveal the problems that came up as you tried to meet the deadline. It may have started well, but unexpected hurdles threatened to derail the project entirely. Raise the stakes if you can. Were you genuinely worried about your future at the company or your career progression? Show some vulnerability to be relatable. Act 3. Explain the resolution and how you met the deadline. Most importantly, tell the team what you learned from the experience and how it made you a better leader. Apply the lessons you learned to the project your team now faces. Yes, creative professionals make storytelling look easy. It's not. It's an art that takes time to hone. Storytelling is a skill and, like any skill, you can sharpen it. The key is to see yourself as something beyond your title, a true storyteller. While your title might read director or manager, your ability to inspire and motivate comes from your ability to spark action through your words. In a touching tribute to Lovell, Hanks, writing on Instagram, beautifully defined a true leader. Hanks wrote, 'There are people who dare, who dream, and who lead others to the places we would not go on our own. Jim Lovell…was that kind of guy.'
Yahoo
38 minutes ago
- Yahoo
James Webb telescope captures one of the deepest-ever views of the universe — Space photo of the week
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Quick facts What it is: The Hubble Ultra Deep Field, revisited by the James Webb Space Telescope Where it is: Close to the Big Dipper in the night sky When it was shared: Aug. 1, 2025 The James Webb Space Telescope's (JWST) latest extragalactic survey has revealed fainter and more distant objects than ever before, some dating back to the earliest periods of the universe. But it stands on the shoulders of a giant: When NASA published the Hubble Ultra Deep Field image in 2004, it stunned the world of astronomy. A composite of 800 images from exposures totaling 11 days, the deep image of an otherwise unremarkable part of the night sky revealed nearly 10,000 galaxies, many among the most distant known. Now, JWST has observed that same patch of sky with different eyes — and found 2,500 more objects. Crucially, they're even more distant. JWST's new take on the Hubble Ultra Deep Field, named the MIRI Deep Imaging Survey (MIDIS), is the deepest-ever mid-infrared image of that part of the night sky. The extraordinary new image is the result of nearly 100 hours of observing time using the space observatory's Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI) and Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam). It includes hundreds of extremely red galaxies, some of which may date back to less than a billion years after the Big Bang. Related: 42 jaw-dropping James Webb Space Telescope images At the core of the composite image is one ultralong exposure. Using just one of MIRI's filters, JWST took an exposure of the night sky for 41 hours — the longest single-filter observation it has performed of an extragalactic field to date. The plan was to capture galaxies in mid-infrared light — something neither Hubble nor human eyes can detect — which also revealed previously unseen regions of dust and old, red stars. More space photos —NASA unveils 9 stunning snapshots of the cosmos in X-ray vision —Astronomers witness a newborn planet emerging from the dust around a sun-like star —'Fighting dragons' light up little-known constellation in the Southern sky Capturing light in wavelengths beyond the capabilities of human vision always brings a problem: How can we even begin to look at it? Processing such images requires filters that assign a different color to each different wavelength of light. In this image, galaxies rich in dust and star-forming activity are orange and red, extremely distant compact galaxies are greenish, and galaxies bright in the near-infrared are blue and cyan. Researchers described the image in a paper in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics, along with a slider tool, a pan video and a transition video with the Hubble Ultra Deep Field for comparison. For more sublime space images, check out our Space Photo of the Week archives. Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Tom Hanks honours Apollo 13 astronaut James Lovell: ‘Godspeed you, on this next voyage'
Tom Hanks has paid tribute to James 'Jim' Lovell, the Nasa astronaut he famously portrayed in the 1995 film Apollo 13, following his death at the age of 97. Lovell, best known for delivering the infamous 'Houston, we've had a problem' line during the ill-fated 1970 Apollo 13 mission, passed away Thursday in Lake Forest, Illinois. On Friday, Hanks shared a message on Instagram honouring Lovell's legacy. The Oscar-winning actor wrote: 'There are people who dare, who dream and who lead others to the places we would not go on our own. Jim Lovell, who for a long while had gone farther into space and for longer than any other person of our planet, was that kind of guy.' Hanks continued: 'His many voyages around Earth and on to so-very-close to the moon were not made for riches or celebrity, but because such challenges as those are what fuels the course of being alive – and who better than Jim Lovell to make those voyages.' The 69-year-old concluded his note by adding: 'On this night of a full moon, he passes on – to the heavens, to the cosmos, to the stars. Godspeed you, on this next voyage, Jim Lovell.' Ron Howard, who directed Hanks in the film adaptation of the failed space mission, also honoured Lovell's memory. In his own Instagram post, Howard said: 'Rest in peace, Commander Lovell. Navy test pilot, Gemini 7, Gemini 12, Apollo 8 and, of course, Apollo 13. Simply knowing Jim has been a tremendous honour. 'His combination of intellect, courage and commitment to duty made him one of the most remarkable individuals I've ever met. His support of our movie-making efforts inspired authenticity and elevated our process in so many ways. Thank you, sir, for your service to our country and to humankind.' 'Lovell's life and work inspired millions,' Nasa said in a statement on Friday (August 8). 'His courage under pressure helped forge our path to the Moon and beyond – a journey that continues today.' The Apollo 13 mission was meant to be Nasa's third Moon landing, but it quickly turned into a tense rescue mission after an oxygen tank explosion damaged the spacecraft. Lovell and his crew, Jack Swigert and Fred Haise, worked closely with Nasa's mission control to safely return to Earth, demonstrating extraordinary calm and leadership under pressure. The failed mission had a lasting impact on Lovell, who, according to the Associated Press, said in 1999, 'I don't worry about crises any longer.' Whenever he had a problem, he was reported to have said: 'I could have been gone back in 1970. I'm still here. I'm still breathing.' After retiring from Nasa and the Navy in 1973, Lovell transitioned to a successful business career and co-authored the book Lost Moon, which detailed the Apollo 13 mission and inspired the movie adaptation. The Apollo 13 movie, which also starred Bill Paxton, Kevin Bacon, Gary Sinise and Ed Harris, was a huge success, earning more than $300m at the global box office. It was nominated for nine Academy Awards, winning the gongs for Best Sound and Best Film Editing.
