2nd Annual Climate Film Festival to Take Place September 19-22 During Climate Week NYC

NEW YORK – June 18, 2025–The Climate Film Festival (CFF), New York’s premier event dedicated to visionary climate storytelling, in partnership with the Guardian US, returns for its second year from Friday, September 19 to Monday, September 22, coinciding with the opening weekend of Climate Week NYC. The announcement was made by co-founders Alec Turnbull and J. English Cook. CFF uniquely highlights films that defy traditional boundaries, pushing the envelope on what climate cinema can achieve through documentaries, narrative features, experimental shorts, or genre-defying works. Building upon the success of its inaugural year, which welcomed 2,000 attendees across 60 films, CFF rapidly established itself as a vital cultural touchstone, and a fourth day was added this year. Festival details and ticketing information are available at climatefilmfest.com.

“Reimagining our conversations around climate couldn’t be more important, especially at this moment,” said Turnbull. “CFF showcases bold storytelling that moves beyond familiar tropes and makes climate accessible. Our mission is to platform powerful films that engage the 89% of people who want more action on climate change. When people see themselves in these stories, they don’t just witness climate challenges—they become part of the solution.”

Regal is the marquee theatre partner for the 2025 Climate Film Festival, providing a hub at their Essex Crossing location in Lower Manhattan. Over the festival weekend, attendees can look forward to 20 screenings of over 60 films, onsite activations at the Solutions Hub, thought-provoking panels, expert workshops, and vibrant social events designed to foster dialogue and community engagement. Notable films, special guests, and the full program will be announced closer to the event.

CFF embraces a broad view of climate-related storytelling. Films will compete in these juried categories:

●   Narrative Feature

●   Documentary Feature

●   Narrative Short

●   Documentary Short

●   Episodic

●   Young Filmmakers (Under 25)

The Guardian US returns to the festival as the exclusive presenting media partner. Guardian journalists participating include climate writer Dharna Noor, who will moderate a panel, and features writer Alaina Demopoulos, who will be a jurist.

Additional support comes from The Carmack Collective, NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council), the Earth Rising Foundation, the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council, The Puffin Foundation, and ImpactECI, with more to be announced.

“The inaugural Climate Film Festival was a huge success and we are proud to be the media partner again this year. We look forward to showcasing the work of brilliant filmmakers and the brands that support them,” said Sara Badler, chief advertising officer, North America, the Guardian. “The Guardian, a certified B-corp, publishes a new environmental piece every three hours and stands at the forefront of climate crisis reporting. Together with the Climate Film Festival, we are dedicated to driving positive change.”

“The way we frame the challenges of climate change, and how we discuss the opportunity of action, has never been more critical. That’s why we’re delighted the Climate Film Festival is returning as an official partner of Climate Week NYC this year. The films, discussions, and activations at the Climate Film Festival are central to bringing the stories of the impacts of climate change to the core of the conversation. We look forward to working together, engaging with an even wider audience, and ensuring every voice is heard,” said Adam Lake, head of engagement, Climate Group North America.

“The stories at the Climate Film Festival are challenging the status quo, elevating important ideas, and accelerating the culture change we need for a breakthrough in climate progress,” said Katy Jacobs, director of entertainment partnerships at NRDC. “We need these storytellers now more than ever.”

CFF works with local climate community organizations, filmmakers, scientists, policymakers, and writers to spur conversation and action that lasts beyond the festival. The festival showcases new voices, lesser-known archival finds, and complex, unexpected stories. CFF actively organizes its programming with the needs of New York City’s diverse constituents in mind, emphasizing local engagement as a key cornerstone of its larger collective vision.

This expanded programming is part of CFF’s mission to rewrite the narrative on climate change, transforming it from an overwhelming topic to a dialogue that can be accessed, discussed, and acted upon.

These programs place environmental justice and practical solutions side-by-side with the larger questions posed by climate cinema, aiming not just to raise awareness but also to drive positive, real change.

Follow the Climate Film Festival on Instagram, LinkedIn, and Substack for the latest updates and use hashtag #ClimateFilmFestNYC to join the conversation. Donations and sponsorships to the Climate Film Festival are tax-deductible through Ecologistics, its fiscal sponsor, a 501(c)(3) organization.

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The Climate Film Festival is fiscally sponsored by Ecologistics, a 501(c)(3) organization. Founded in 2023 by a multidisciplinary team of passionate climate professionals, artists, and curators, CFF rewrites the narrative on climate change by harnessing the power of motion pictures. Its mission is to bring together a diverse community of filmmakers, artists, students, experts, and general audiences through screenings, education, and workshops that platform traditional and experimental storytelling, empowering action toward a more sustainable future. Visit climatefilmfest.com and follow the Climate Film Festival on Instagram, Substack, and LinkedIn.

Guardian Media Group (GMG), a certified B Corporation, is the publisher of theguardian.com, one of the largest English-language news websites in the world. Since launching its US digital edition in 2011 and Australian digital edition in 2013, traffic from outside the UK now represents around two-thirds of the Guardian’s total digital audience. None of the editions have a paywall. The Guardian US has more than 100 members of editorial staff across bureaus in New York, Washington DC and Los Angeles. Today, the Guardian has more than 300,000 recurring supporters in the US, plus roughly 200,000 annual one-time supporters. It draws an audience of more than 40 million US readers every month, making it one of the top news sites in America. The Guardian is a global leader in reader-funded journalism, and contributions from readers are the publication’s largest source of revenue. The Guardian US is renowned for its Pulitzer prize-winning investigation into widespread secret surveillance by the National Security Agency and for other award-winning work, including on the Paradise Papers. The Guardian US is known for its urgent coverage of the climate crisis, politics, race and immigration, guns, gender, the arts, sports, tech and more.

Angela Betancourt

Climate Film Festival