US DOCUMENTARY “BOMBSHELL” RECEIVES TOP AWARD OF THE 15TH INTERNATIONAL URANIUM FILM FESTIVAL IN RIO DE JANEIRO
The US documentary feature film “Bombshell” by director Ben Loeterman and producer Gaia De Simoni is among the main winners of the 15th Rio de Janeiro International Uranium Film Festival 2026. Bombshell received the Best Investigative Documentary Award. The award ceremony took place on Saturday, May 30, 2026, at the Cinematheque of the renowned Museum of Modern Art (MAM Rio).
Jury Statement for Bombshell
BOMBSHELL brilliantly lays out the media manipulation it took to create the atomic bomb `bedtime story´ told to the world after the U.S. bombed Hiroshima and Nagasaki. It tells how the atomic (aka nuclear) story has been manipulated from before the test explosion at Trinity in New Mexico, and how what we accept as gospel about the bomb and its use in WWII is a carefully constructed lie. Director Ben Loeterman and producer Gaia de Simoni have made a brilliant documentary film that uncovers the obscure and usually dismissed William L. Laurence, science writer for the New York Times, who was embedded in the Manhattan Project and provided all its earliest messaging. The film continues through the many derailed attempts by reporters to get the true story of the bomb’s devastation out to the world; the impact of John Hersey’s Hiroshima article in the New Yorker; and how the government fabricated the ultimate justification of why the U.S. dropped the bombs — a tale that is now the universally accepted (false) narrative. Fast paced, always intriguing, with many jaw-dropping revelations, BOMBSHELL is a cornerstone film that deserves to be seen by anyone who wants to understand how we’ve backed ourselves into our current nuclear corner.“ Libbe HaLevy, jury member of the International Uranium Film Festival
Bombshell Award Acceptance Statements
We are deeply honored that Bombshell has received the Best Investigative Documentary Film Award at the Uranium Film Festival. This recognition is especially meaningful because the festival has long championed films that examine the nuclear age and its enduring consequences. Bombshell tells the remarkable story of journalists who challenged secrecy and brought critical information to the public at a pivotal moment in history. Their work reminds us that investigative reporting is essential to democracy, particularly when governments and powerful institutions would prefer that difficult truths remain hidden. This award belongs to the many historians, journalists, and participants who helped bring this story to life. We are grateful to the Uranium Film Festival jury and audience for embracing the film and for continuing to foster important conversations about nuclear issues, accountability, and the role of a free press. Thank you for this tremendous honor.“ Ben Loeterman – Director, Producer, Writer Bombshell
On behalf of our entire team, I want to express our sincere gratitude to the Uranium Film Festival for recognizing Bombshell with the Best Investigative Documentary Film Award. As filmmakers, our goal was not only to tell a compelling historical story but also to highlight the courage of journalists who believed the public had a right to know. Their determination to pursue the truth continues to resonate today, when accurate information and independent journalism remain vital to informed public debate. We are honored that Bombshell has found a home among the films and audiences of the Uranium Film Festival, whose commitment to exploring the human, political, and environmental dimensions of the nuclear age is more important than ever. We share this recognition with everyone who contributed to the film and with the audiences around the world who have engaged with its message.Thank you for helping amplify this story and its continuing relevance.“ Gaia De Simoni – Producer Bombshell
BOMBSHELL
USA, 2025, Director: Ben Loeterman, Producer: Ben Loeterman and Gaia De Simoni, Narrator: Ann Curry, Documentary, English, 80 min
ABOUT THE FESTIVAL
For 15 years, the International Uranium Film Festival (IUFF) has raised awareness about the risks of atomic power and promoted nuclear disarmament with independent films and panels of experts around the globe. In October 2024, Hollywood’s MovieMaker Magazine named it one of the “25 Coolest Film Festivals in the World 2024”. And in 2025, the festival’s founders, Márcia Gomes de Oliveira and Norbert Suchanek, received the prestigious “Nuclear-Free Future Award” in New York City in the category of education. The Uranium Film Festival, especially in Rio, focuses very much on the young generation.
IUFF 2026 Jury Member
Libbe HaLevy is the producer and host of “Nuclear Hotseat”, a weekly podcast/broadcast on nuclear issues from a “different” perspective. Libbe is an award-winning playwright, author of the book “Yes, I glow in the dark! One Mile from Three Mile Island to Fukushima and Nuclear Hotseat“, and the play „Atomic Bill and the Payment Due“.
