NEW YORK – August 12, 2024 – The Climate Film Festival, in partnership with the Guardian US, has announced 59 film finalists. The inaugural festival takes place Friday, September 20 – Sunday, September 22. The opening night premiere will be held at The Explorers Club, 46 E. 70th St., followed by a weekend of screenings and panel discussions at Firehouse: DCTV’s Cinema for Documentary Film, 87 Lafayette St. The festival coincides with the opening weekend of Climate Week NYC. Co-founders Alec Turnbull and J. English Cook made the announcement. For schedule, ticketing information, and programming updates, visit climatefilmfest.com.

The 2024 Climate Film Festival Slate:

• Opening Night Feature – Searching for Amani, Dir. Nicole Gormley and Debra Aroko
• Closing Night Feature – Hollow Tree, Dir. Kira Akerman

 

Feature-Length Films:

• Canary, Dir. Danny O’Malley and Alex Rivest
• Common Ground, Dir. Josh Tickell and Rebecca Tickell
• Earth II, Dir. Anti-Banality Union
• Emergent City, Dir. Kelly Anderson and Jay Arthur Sterrenberg
• Farming While Black, Dir. Mark Decena
• The Here Now Project, Dir. Greg Jacobs and Jon Siskel, U.S. Premiere
• Hollow Tree, Dir. Kira Akerman
• One With the Whale, Dir. Pete Chelkowski and Jim Wickens Searching for Amani, Dir. Nicole Gormley and Debra Aroko Valve Turners, Dir. Steve Bonds-Liptay, World Premiere
• The Weight of Water: The Human Cost of Climate Crisis, Dir. Neelima Vallangi and Deej Phillips, East Coast Premiere

Short Films and Episodics:

• ᏗᏂᏠᎯ ᎤᏪᏯ (Meet Me at the Creek), Dir. Loren Waters, New York City Premiere
• Abnormal Prime Time, Dir. Kirin Sinn, U.S. Premiere
• Adaption: Ice Stupas of Ladakh, Dir. Justin DeShields, New York City Premiere
• Beautiful Poison, Dir. Dan Ashby
• Climate Artists – sTo Len, ALL ARTS, World Premiere
• Cobell Energy, Dir. Ari Cagan
• Data Ghosts, Dir. Erica Shires, World Premiere
• Ecocide, Dir. Alice Hjorth, North American Premiere Electrifying Eugene, Dir. Lauren Iverson, East Coast Premiere Food From the Air, Dir. Sue Williams, World Premiere
• Footprints on Katmai, Dir. Max Romey, New York City Premiere
• For You, Dir. Luca Paulli, East Coast Premiere
• Freetown: Cooling a City, Dir. Surabhi Tandon, World Premiere
• From Surma, Dir. Manoj Pramanik and Subrata Sarker, U.S. Premiere
• Growing Gigas: Giant Clam Farming in Kosrae, Micronesia, Dir. Micah Josiah Seidel, World Premiere
• Higher Grounds, Dir. Joe Kramer
• Hot & Toxic, Dir. Edmond Hawkins
• I Am More Dangerous Dead, Dir. Majiye Uchibeke, New York City Premiere
• It Might as Well Be Spring, Dir. Benjamin Chung-ying Eckersley
• The Last of the Nightingales, Dir. Masha Karpoukhina Lunatic, Dir. Robin Noorda, New York City Premiere Mountain Man, Dir. Arun Bhattarai
• Optimist’s Guide to the Planet, ep. 2, Dir. Mark Stevenson, World Premiere
• Our Ark, Dir. Deniz Tortum and Sister Sylvester
• Our Children’s River, Dir. Dominic Gill
• Out of Plastic, Dir. Maxfield Biggs
• Panacea, Dir. Sarah Høilund, U.S. Premiere
• Planetwalker, Dir. Dominic Gill and Nadia Gill, New York City Premiere
• Possum, Dir. Daisy Rosato, New York City Premiere
• The Quest to Save Parasites, Dir. Emily Driscoll
• Rise Age, Dir. Tatjana Theuer, North American Premiere
• School of Fish, Dir. Colin Arisman and Oliver Sutro The Shelmeca Serpent, Dir. Laura Bermúdez Signs, Dir. Ken Rinaldo, New York City Premiere
• The Silence After The Storm, Dir. Alina Rizwan, New York City Premiere
• Since The Spill, Dir. Declan Lighthouse, U.S. Premiere
• The Sixth Borough, Dir. Astrid Malter
• Terra Mater – Motherland, Dir. Kantarama Gahigiri
• Thatch to the Future!, Dir. Nicolas Neuhold, New York City Premiere There Was a Cedar Forest, Dir. Arthur Cech, New York City Premiere Tuvalu: Losing Paradise, Dir. Tilly Cowan, North American Premiere
• Underwater Projects, Dir. dream hampton and Liz Havstad, New York City Premiere
• Vision of Paradise, Dir. Leonardo Pirondi
• When The Wind Rises, Dir. Hung Chen, U.S. Premiere
• Wild Hope: Coral Comeback, An HHMI Tangled Bank Studios and Red Rock Films Production

The Climate Film Festival is the first event of its kind, showcasing film and media that break the boundaries of what climate cinema can be. Out of over 300 submissions, the 59 selected finalists represent productions from 24 different countries. The festival features new and recent titles from respected international filmmakers and early-career young professionals.

The Festival’s opening night film is Nicole Gormley and Debra Aroko’s Searching for Amani, which was recently awarded The Albert Maysles Award (Best New Documentary Director) following its world premiere at the 2024 Tribeca Film Festival. The closing night film is Kira Akerman’s Hollow Tree (Jury Award Winner, Audience Award Winner, 2022 New Orleans Film Festival).

“The Climate Film Festival is a place for filmmakers and audiences to engage with films that defy conventional expectations and inspire new ways of thinking about the world,” said Turnbull. “By organizing a festival during the opening weekend of Climate Week NYC and the UN General Assembly, we’re creating a unique platform for art and storytelling to ignite new conversations among policymakers, changemakers, artists, and New Yorkers from all walks of life.”

The features program includes the world premiere of Steve Bonds-Liptay’s riveting and incisive documentary Valve Turners, which follows the story of five activists who turn off oil pipelines near the US- Canadian border and face trial, defending their actions as necessary in response to the climate emergency. Of special note is the U.S. premiere of Greg Jacobs and Jon Siskel’s The Here Now Project, a gripping and unflinching documentary that weaves together in-the-moment, self-shot footage from 2021—no narration, no talking heads—to create an unprecedented visual diary of the impact climate change is already having on ordinary people around the world. The East Coast premiere of Neelima Vallangi and Deej Phillips’s moving, Nepal-based The Weight of Water: The Human Cost of Climate Crisis is also a hallmark of the program, as is the world premiere of an episodic entry in Mark Stevenson’s solutions-driven Optimist’s Guide to the Planet. The festival is also thrilled to screen Emergent City and Farming While Black, two captivating films that highlight the critical work of climate leaders advocating for just and equitable solutions within New York.

The shorts program features a wide range of documentary, narrative, and experimental themes, including environmental justice, climate comedy, eco-horror, climate change and the arts, nature-based solutions, and anti-fossil fuel campaigns. This program includes five world premieres, three North American premieres, four U.S. premieres, two East Coast premieres, and 11 New York City premieres.

Of particular interest is the world premiere of the second season of Climate Artists, which features the New York City-based artist sTo Len and his genre fluid, waste- and water-based art; and the New York City premiere of dream hampton and Liz Havstad’s Underwater Projects, a lively and informative blend of animation and live-action about climate resilience featuring Wanda Sykes.

The films will compete in these juried categories: Narrative Short, Documentary Short, Documentary Feature, Episodic, Early-Career Filmmaker, Experimental, Audience Choice, and Student Choice from the festival’s student steering committee (18-24 years old). Additionally, films will be eligible for a unique Sustainable Production award from Earth Angel by TheGreenShot, rewarding sustainable practices on set and throughout the production process.

The 2024 Climate Film Festival jurists are:

• Alaina Demopoulos, daily features writer, the Guardian US
• Alisa Petrosova, associate director of Climate Research & Consulting Programs, story consultant, Good Energy
• Boloh Miranda Izquierdo, artist and filmmaker
• Caleb Smith, MPA, environmental science and policy, resiliency coordinator, WE ACT for Environmental Justice
• Chandra Simon Ritvo, sustainability and storytelling, Netflix
• Cheryl Slean, sustainability and storytelling, Netflix
• Len Necefer, CEO, Natives Outdoors
• Griffin Sager-Gellerman, senior specialist, production sustainability and environmental affairs, Sony Pictures Entertainment
• Jamil Ellis, founder and CEO, Unified Ground
• Jeannette Williams, COO, Urban Future Lab, NYU
• Kristina Douglass, associate professor of climate, Columbia University
• Lauren Wang, director of climate programs, Trust for Governors Island
• Nancy Rosenthal, founder and executive director, New York WILD Film Festival
• Sam Read, executive director, Sustainable Entertainment Alliance
• Sonia Shechet Epstein, curator of science and technology, Museum of the Moving Image

The Guardian US joins the festival as the exclusive presenting media partner. Additional sponsors include SNØCAP, The Carmack Collective Fund, a fund of Tides Foundation, CEEZER, Rewiring America, Earth Angel, and more to be announced.

“The Climate Film Festival harnesses the transformative power of motion pictures, showcasing new voices, repertory finds, and energizing, human stories. And the Guardian US stands at the forefront of climate crisis reporting. Together, we are two mission-aligned media organizations dedicated to driving positive change,” said Joyce Parente, VP marketing, the Guardian US.

Climate Week NYC, hosted by Climate Group, a global non-profit, is the largest annual climate event of its kind and brings together leaders from business and government alongside community and grassroots organizations.

“Culture plays a pivotal role in driving the climate conversation forward, and we are thrilled to have the Climate Film Festival as a part of Climate Week NYC this year. Film has become such a growing part of the week it allows an even more diverse range of audiences to deepen their understanding of climate change and how they can act to make a difference. As we convene leaders and communities from various sectors during Climate Week NYC, integrating cultural initiatives like the Climate Film Festival helps broaden the impact and reach of our efforts, making climate action a more inclusive and engaging endeavor,” says Adam Lake, head of engagement, Climate Group North America.

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

About the Climate Film Festival

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, it aims to rewrite 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.

About the Guardian US

Guardian Media Group (GMG) is the publisher of theguardian.com, one of the largest English-speaking news websites in the world. Since launching its US and Australian digital editions in 2011 and 2013, respectively, traffic from outside the UK now represents around two-thirds of the Guardian’s total digital audience. The Guardian US has more than 100 members of editorial staff across bureaus in New York, Washington DC, and Los Angeles. The Guardian now has more than 260,000 recurring supporters in the US plus roughly 170,000 annual one-time supporters, and draws an audience of more than 40 million US readers every month, making it one of the top 10 news sites in the US. 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 The Paradise Papers. Today, the Guardian US is known for its urgent coverage of the climate crisis, politics, race and immigration, guns, gender, the arts, sports, and more.