New York-based Raw Science Film Festival (RSFF), an EIDR member partner supporting the cataloging of all science media with universal identifiers, is touting the Oct. 25 debut of a unique documentary.
The mission of the festival is to humanize science and bring fact-based experts to the forefront of popular culture by celebrating the best science storytelling in the world. The combined effort of RSFF and EIDR not only tags important works of scientific, historical, and cultural significance, but it also helps independent filmmakers in their journey through the full lifecycle of distribution. The film Ending HIV: The Journey for an HIV Vaccine is the essence of all three. The festival will host its world premiere Oct. 25 at Florence Gould Theater in New York . Tickets can be purchased here.
The EIDR community, including distributors, is invited to attend for an opportunity to experience this film live at the Raw Science Film Festival, where science meets the big screen! Please use 50 percent discount code RSFF2025EIDR.
Documenting resilience, science, and the pursuit of hope
This film was born from a realization: the fight to end the largest pandemic in human history is a story that must be told — even if the world’s first HIV vaccine is not here … yet.
Since the early 1980s, scientists, researchers, community organizers, faith leaders, and countless organizations have poured their lives into understanding and battling HIV — the most complicated virus medicine has ever faced. When the HIV Vaccine Trials Network (HVTN) was formed in the 1990s, an unprecedented global collaboration took shape. But until now, the tireless work across countries, races, genders, and disciplines had never been fully narrated on screen.
The Journey for an HIV Vaccine distills 25 years of breakthroughs, setbacks, and persistence into 72 minutes of urgent, compelling storytelling. The film highlights not just the data, but humanity — reminding us that at a time when research funding is shrinking, access to care is denied for many, and vaccines themselves are under attack, this story is more relevant than ever.
Live panel and workshop
Following the screening, audiences will hear directly from leading voices in HIV vaccine research and advocacy, including:
- Larry Corey, MD, Principal Investigator of HVTN, faculty of the University of Washington and Fred Hutch Cancer Center, former director and president of Fred Hutch
- Mitchell Warren, Executive Director, AVAC
- Mark Harrington, Executive Director, Treatment Action Group
- Filmmakers Matias Trachter & Norbi Zylberberg
- Executive Producers Guido Rutenberg, Sally Bock, Andrea Benita, Claudia Graterol
Together, they’ll unpack the milestones of HIV research and share how mountains of complex science were transformed into an engaging film narrative.
And on Sunday, the creative team will host a hands-on workshop for scientists and storytellers alike — exploring strategies to communicate complicated processes clearly, powerfully, and across diverse audiences.
This is more than a documentary. It’s an invitation to witness history in motion — and to be part of the conversation shaping the future of global health.