Fanta Maker is back, the side-event program of Maker Faire Trieste.

Fanta Maker, the program of side events for Maker Faire Trieste created with the aim of broadening and growing the event’s audience through science outreach and entertainment events linked to the worlds of cinema, television series, and nerd culture, returns in 2026. The project stems from the experience of the Trieste Science+Fiction Festival and aims to bring together the scientific and technological culture of Maker Faire with the imagination of science fiction and contemporary pop culture, creating opportunities for different audiences to meet and participate: technology enthusiasts, movie and TV series viewers, nerd communities, and the simply curious. All Fanta Maker events are free to attend. The program will kick off with a pre-opening event scheduled for Saturday, May 2, at 6:30 p.m. at the Cinema Ariston, featuring astrophysicist and science communicator Luca Perri, who will lead the conference Nolan’s Time – The Physics of Time explained through incomprehensible films. A journey through science and cinema that, through the analysis of films such as *Interstellar*, *Inception*, and *Tenet*, explores the many facets of time in Christopher Nolan’s work, examining the boundary between cinematic imagination and scientific reflection. Among the highlights of the lineup is the return of FantaQuiz Night, the team-based quiz show dedicated to movies, TV series, and nerd culture, hosted by Serial Minds editors Diego Castelli and Jacopo Cirillo. Designed as a highly interactive live show, the event puts teams of enthusiasts to the test with quizzes, challenges, and trivia related to pop culture, transforming educational content into a moment of collective entertainment. Scheduled for Saturday, May 9, at 9:30 p.m. in Piazza Unità d’Italia. Registration is closed! The 2026 program is further enriched by the Ludoteca Galattica, a day entirely dedicated to board games and role-playing games, inspired by the initiative of the same name at the Trieste Science+Fiction Festival. The event will involve local associations and some of Italy’s leading publishers in the sector, including Asmodee, Cranio Creations, DV Giochi, Ghenos Games, and MS Edizioni, with the aim of offering demonstrations, game sessions open to the public, and presentations of new releases and previews. The event, organized by the Trieste Science+Fiction Festival in collaboration with In bocca al gioco, Costola dei barbari, Alea, Wondertell, and I cavalieri dell’esagono, will take place from 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. on Saturday, May 9, on the first floor of the Urban Center in Trieste at Corso Cavour 2/2. For reservations: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdor2Wc9lBe06kuiIczCDbl3ChAHHI-ig1TPnVQBIhdFRe3XQ/viewform?usp=dialog In addition to recreational activities, FantaMaker will also host an in-depth session dedicated to game design with the workshop Creating a Game in 200 Words, a hands-on workshop aimed at enthusiasts and aspiring game designers. Over the course of two guided hours, it will take participants from concept to the prototyping of a complete game through a streamlined and focused game design process. The workshop will be led by game designer Francesco “Rugerfred” Sedda and will take place on Sunday, May 10, starting at 10:00 a.m. at the Mediateca La Cappella Underground, located at Via Roma 19. Register for free here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/creare-un-gioco-in-200-parole-tickets -1988322796007?aff=oddtdtcreator&keep_tld=true