First Man

First Man

Sloan Foundation Film

Release Date

2018

Director

  • Damien Chazelle

Cast

  • Ryan Gosling
  • Claire Foy
  • Kyle Chandler

Awards

  • 2018 SFFILM Sloan Science in Cinema Prize

The riveting story of NASA’s mission to land a man on the moon, focusing on Neil Armstrong and the cost—on Armstrong, his family, his colleagues, the nation—of one of the most dangerous missions in history.

On the heels of their six-time Academy Award®-winning smash, La La Land, Oscar®-winning director Damien Chazelle and star Ryan Gosling reteam to tell the story behind the first manned mission to the moon, focusing on Neil Armstrong and the decade leading to the historic Apollo 11 flight. A visceral and intimate account told from Armstrong’s perspective, based on the book by James R. Hansen, the film explores triumph, sacrifice, and leading under the pressure of grace and tragedy.

Image courtesy of PHOTOFEST

Possible Topics

  • The moon landing
  • Space exploration
  • Bravery and resilience

Past Programs

2018

First Man at Michigan Theater

Michigan Theater, Ann Arbor, MI

2019

Fabric of the mind, fabrics of space

Athens Ciné, Athens, GA

The history and future of manned space flight

Belcourt Theatre, Nashville, TN

Houston, we have a future

Cameo Cinema, St Helena, CA

The legacy of the moon landing

Coolidge Corner Theatre, Brookline, MA

What did it take to put a man on the moon?

Gold Coast Arts Center, Great Neck, NY

2023

Inner and outer space II

Block Cinema: Northwestern University, Evanston, IL

Latest discoveries of the James Webb Telescope

Museum of Discovery and Science, Fort Lauderdale, FL

2024

The formation and evolution of galaxies

Museum of Discovery and Science, Fort Lauderdale, FL