3000 films were entered for the 52nd edition of AFO (Academia Film Olomouc), Europe’s leading International Festival for Science Documentary Films, which took place in April 2017. 20 international documentaries were finally selected for the festival’s blue riband competition, its Grand Prize. At the 30th April prize giving, International Jury chair Paul Lewis awarded Honourable Mention to The Joy of Data:

‘The Jury was impressed by the high quality of the twenty films selected for the International Competition this year. These very strong films had different visions and approaches, with the best of them combining engaging filmmaking with challenging science. As the embodiment of the theme of AFO – The Future is Now – the Jury awards Honourable Mention to THE JOY OF DATA (directed by Cat Gale) for a fresh, simultaneously serious and playful approach to what might have been a dry academic subject.’

At AFO #50 in 2015, Cat’s previous Joy Of…, The Joy of Logic,  had gone one better, winning the Grand Prize. This year that was awarded to the Russian documentary Lake Vostok – A Mountain of Madness. 

Following a skiing accident, Cat was unable to attend AFO this year so Archie encouraged the packed cinema audience at one of the screenings to send her their Get Well Soon greetings.