This spring marks the wide release of two distinctive, Sloan-supported films that explore scientific ideas through markedly different cinematic forms: Nicholas Ma’s coming‑of‑age narrative MABEL and Courtney Stephens and Michael Almereyda’s archival documentary JOHN LILLY AND THE EARTH COINCIDENCE CONTROL OFFICE. Both films have screened coast-to-coast on the festival circuit and theatrically, before becoming widely available on VOD. Each film’s journey to audiences reflects the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation’s long‑standing support for films that engage seriously with science and scientific communities. Below, read more about each film, check out their trailers, and find out where you can catch them in theaters or at home.

MABEL. Dir. Nicholas Ma.
No one gets Callie, an awkward pre-teen whose one friend, Mabel, is a plant. As Callie's obsession grows, she is put at odds with her mother and jeopardizes her first chance at a real friendship.

Nicholas Ma’s debut feature MABEL, starring Judy Greer, made its world premiere at the San Francisco International Film Festival in April 2024, where it screened as part of SFFILM’s Sloan Science in Cinema Initiative, highlighting its thoughtful engagement with biological science.

MABEL previously received the $100,000 Sloan Feature Film Production Award at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts in 2019, followed by a Sloan Screenplay Development Award from the Tribeca Film Institute in 2020. Through its portrayal of a young protagonist discovering science as refuge, MABEL exemplifies the Sloan Foundation’s mission to foster nuanced depictions of science that resonate across age groups.

Distributed by Tribeca Releasing, MABEL opened in select U.S. theaters on April 17, 2026, with screenings in New York and Los Angeles. The film is now available nationwide on VOD platforms such including Prime Video and Apple TV.

JOHN LILLY AND THE EARTH COINCIDENCE CONTROL OFFICE. Dirs. Courtney Stephens, Michael Almereyda.
A visionary neuroscientist explores the limits of consciousness through isolation tanks, communication with dolphins, and psychedelic experiments, transforming himself from researcher to mystical explorer.

Narrated by Chloë Sevigny, the documentary premiered at the 54th International Film Festival Rotterdam in February 2025, where it attracted critical attention for its layered portrait of a controversial scientific figure and the countercultural influences surrounding his work.

In addition to being co-directed by previous Sloan grantee Michael Almereyda (TESLA, MARJORIE PRIME), the film was also directly supported by a 2023 Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Feature Film Grant.

After its festival run, Oscilloscope Laboratories released the film theatrically in the United States, kicking off with theatrical engagements in New York on March 27, 2026. Nationwide screenings are still taking place across the country, with dates in New Mexico, Ohio, California, Oregon and Washington still to come. For folks without access to a local art-house cinema, the documentary will be available on VOD via Prime Video, Apple TV and Google Play as of May 1, 2026.

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