Newton Resident Phil Sharp & Director Bill Haney Discuss Film on Science, Public Health & The Economy

Uncommon Productions, producers of the award-winning film Jim Allison: Breakthrough, is presenting an advance screening of Cracking the Code: Phil Sharp & the Biotech Revolution on Tuesday, June 17th at the Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA) in Boston.

This new documentary, directed by Bill Haney and narrated by Mark Ruffalo, explores how one quiet MIT scientist helped launch a global industry – and what’s at stake if we fail to keep supporting scientific innovation.

Cracking the Code tells the inspiring true story of Nobel laureate Phil Sharp, whose breakthrough discovery of RNA splicing helped lay the foundation for the modern biotech industry.

The film not only traces Sharp’s journey from a Kentucky tobacco farm to the forefront of molecular biology, but also it highlights how public research and private investment combined to create an industry that touches billions of lives every year.

With research funding under attack, Cracking the Code sparks a timely conversation about how today’s policy decisions could jeopardize tomorrow’s breakthroughs.

“Cracking the Code demonstrates how the future of our economy and healthcare — and our preparedness for global challenges — depends on people working hard at universities in a merit-based way to have an impact on the world,” said Sharp.

Haney, who also co-founded two Boston-based biotech companies, Dragonfly Therapeutics and Skyhawk Therapeutics, said, “Phil’s story is a testament to the quiet power of character, resilience, and imagination. At a time when facts and science are under attack, this film celebrates the people and institutions that make discovery possible and reminds us what’s at stake if we fail to protect them.”

Set in the very region where Sharp co-founded Biogen and helped transform Kendall Square into the world’s most innovative square mile, the film underscores that investing in science isn’t just good policy — it’s how we build a healthier, more resilient future.

The screening will take place on Tuesday, June 17, 2025, at 6:30 PM at the Institute of Contemporary Art, 25 Harbor Shore Dr., in Boston. After the film, Sharp will be at the screening in a conversation with Haney, followed by a reception hosted by Dragonfly Therapeutics, PwC and Skyhawk Therapeutics.

Space is limited. To reserve tickets, go to https://www.uncommonproductions.com/cracking-the-code/june-17.