Announcing the Guardian US as the Presenting Media Parter for the Inaugural Climate Film Fest 2024
Plus: Our event next week with the Ceres Food Film Festival and Rethink Food, CFF's Open Call Deadline, a new Spotlight, funding opportunities, and more!
Hi all,
We are thrilled to announce that the Guardian US will be our exclusive presenting media partner for our inaugural Climate Film Festival this September 20-22, 2024! Check out more information about the partnership below, and get ready for an exciting slate of upcoming programs, panels, and more.
Can’t wait till September? Join us next week on Thursday, May 30th for a 👩🌾 screening + panel on regenerative agriculture and sustainable local food systems at Rethink Food. It’ll be an an intimate evening of film, lively discussion, upcycled bites, and an open bar of boutique Portuguese wines. Co-hosted with the Ceres Food Film Festival and Rethink Food.
Tickets are going fast—get yours here!
Open Call Deadline & Flash Sale!
Speaking of programming: our final deadline for our open call is coming up on Monday, June 3rd! We’re running a 📸 Memorial Day Weekend Flash Sale from Friday, May 24th through Monday, May 27th: 20% off submissions with code CFFMemorialDay24.
Submit your film here, and be sure to share with your filmmaker friends!
CFF bumper courtesy of our trailer sponsor and producer Ecodeo
Lastly, are you interested in 🤝 joining the CFF team in a more hands-on capacity? We’re on the lookout for a Development Lead! As a 100% run volunteer organization, our team leads have been the bedrock of our initiatives, and we’d love to welcome a new, passionate, and energized member into the fold. More details at the link, and please submit your application or any questions to info@climatefilmfest.com.
Read through for more updates + an eye-opening entry in our ⚡ Spotlight series by our very own Akosua Owusu-Akyaw on the film Evil Does Not Exist (2023, dir. Ryusuke Hamaguchi), in theaters now.
In Partnership with the Guardian US, the Climate Film Festival New York to Debut September 20-22 During Climate Week NYC
Films that break the boundaries and expectations of what climate cinema can be
The Climate Film Festival (CFF) New York, in partnership with the Guardian US, will debut Friday, September 20 - Sunday, September 22, at Firehouse: DCTV's Cinema for Documentary Film, 87 Lafayette St. The festival coincides with the opening weekend of Climate Week NYC. CFF is New York City’s premier film festival dedicated to climate-related film and media that break the boundaries and expectations of what climate cinema can be.
“The Climate Film Festival harnesses the transformative power of motion pictures, showcasing new voices, repertory finds, and energizing, human stories. 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 of marketing at the Guardian US.
The Guardian US joins the festival as the exclusive presenting media partner. Additional sponsors include SNØCAP, Ecodeo, Climate Tech Cities, and more to be announced.
“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 that 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.
For more information, check out the full press release here and a post from Climate Group here.
Our Next Event—From Farm to Film: A Screening & Panel on Soil, Carbon, and Climate (Thursday, May 30th)
Join the Ceres Food Film Festival and CFF from 7-9:30pm on May 30th at Rethink Food’s gorgeous new space for a screening of the award-winning documentary short Grass Farmers (dir. Chad Galloway, 2020) and a thought-provoking panel discussion! The evening will highlight topics ranging from contemporary practices in regenerative agriculture to sustainable food systems, featuring speakers including:
Ken Baker, Culinary Director, Rethink Food
Neeti Jain, Strategic Partnerships Advisor, Mayor’s Office of Food Policy
Michael Robinov, Co-founder and CEO of Farm To People
Sustainable farming expert from a local farm (details coming soon!)
Program:
7:00 PM: Check-in
7:30 - 8:30 PM: Film Screening followed by a Panel
8:30 - 9:30 PM: Networking and Mingling
About the film:
Grass Farmers (dir. Chad Galloway, 2020) is a short film that explores the intricate relationship between traditional land management practices and modern environmental sustainability efforts, blending personal stories and expert insights to show how land management techniques can contribute to a sustainable future.
Tickets: $30 (food and wine included!) RSVP on Eventbrite
Submit your film to our September Festival on FilmFreeway!
Our final deadline closes on June 3rd. We’re excited to offer a special Memorial Day Weekend flash sale of 20% off submissions from May 24th through May 27th! Use code: CFFMemorialDay24
🌅 The Spotlight
The Spotlight series takes a fresh look at works of climate cinema
The film Evil Does Not Exist (2023, dir. Ryusuke Hamaguchi) is a contemplative slow burn that engages in an honest conversation about community buy-in contrasted against the capitalist systems that cause environmental and social injury. The story takes place in a small village in Japan, and the plot is catalyzed when two representatives from a corporation in Tokyo show up to propose building a “glamping” site in the middle of town. One of the main problems is that the proposed site would need a new septic tank, the location of which would pollute the town’s water supply, which currently flows downstream from the mountains uninhibited and is a staple of the community.
Just as important as the plot is the perspective and the pacing. The cinematography – by Yoshio Kitagawa – often takes on the perspective of non-human entities: a wild wasabi plant about to be picked, or a web camera spying on a money-focused manager as he manipulates his more sympathetic employees.
The movie has long drawn-out shots that force the audience to linger within the atmosphere of each moment, rather than rush to a conclusion. We watch the entirety of a community meeting with the glamping corporate representatives, tension slowly simmering and starting to boil over. We follow a villager and his daughter on a tender walk as she points out various plants, and he affirms or corrects her. And we’re privy to the honest and somewhat awkward car ride conversation between the company’s two representatives as they discuss subjects like the subtle loss of dreams, the loneliness caused by the pandemic, and the modern societal pressures that motivate them to side with their company, even if they philosophically agree with the villagers.
Without giving much away, I felt that the title, along with the film’s conclusion, encapsulated an overarching perspective of nature: that unlike us, the environment does not concern itself with morality, instead foregoing judgment or sympathy. Our actions and their causes and effects, both positive and negative, are neutrally absorbed – which is not to say that they will not lead to what we would call a tragedy.
Evil Does Not Exist is currently screening in theaters.
Akosua is a CFF Founding Volunteer and our Education + Newsletter Lead.
Opportunities & Events
🌐 Jackson Wild’s My World Film Grant (Due May 29)
In an effort to contribute to the filmmaker pathways and to develop environmental filmmaking talent, Amberjack Films and Schoolyard Films, in partnership with Jackson Wild, have created a program of funded scholarship films, where early-stage filmmakers are sponsored to make a short 10-20 minute film on a nature or environmental story wherever they come from in the world.
🌳 Forest for Trees Collective Call for Art (Due May 29)
FOREST FOR TREES is a diverse and expanding collective of artists working across creative disciplines to address issues of environmental, social, and political importance. FOREST FOR TREES creates and curates multimedia, genre-expanding environmental artworks that address gaps in climate, environmental, and ecojustice education in spaces and places where captivating art, engaging events, and educative programming are needed and supported.
📹 PLURAL+ Youth Video Festival (Due May 31)
PLURAL+, a collaborative effort between the United Nations Alliance of Civilization (UNAOC) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in New York, invites young creators aged up to 25 years old to submit original and creative short films of up to 5 minutes in length, on the enduring themes of migration, diversity, and social inclusion. This year, UNAOC and IOM will confer a Special Recognition for Inclusive Action on Climate Change and its impact on Migration.
Upcoming Opportunities
🚫 Independence from Plastic: A ‘Micro’ Plastic-Free Film Contest (Due June 7)
✍️ Grist’s Imagine 2200: Write the Future (Due June 24)
🎤 NRDC Climate Storytelling Fellowship (Due Dec. 5)
🪨❄️ Coal + Ice @ Asia Society (Ongoing)