THIS TOURING FESTIVAL OF INTERNATIONAL SHORT FILMS explores the "interior," more artistic and more personal response to our many possible climate futures.

A growing festival emphasis in 2025 is the dance of personal climate response and action amidst rising allegiance to climate denialism in the West.

BILL McKIBBEN, America's leading voice and author on climate, is the
Festival's first Honorary Judge and introduces it on screen.

While climate change is front-page news, in our own back pages many are grieving. Or numb. Or outraged. Or frightened. Or isolated and feeling hopeless. Others may be oddly celebrating a future of climate disorder.

This traveling festival of short films explores the full range of human and artistic response to what may be coming next. Drama, satire, comedy, films of hope and films of sadness, documentary and animation: your heart and vision have a home at the Climate Future Film Festival.

The festival's second year premiere's in Rhode Island in late 2025 before touring internationally in 2026 and beyond. The 2024/25 edition continues successfully on tour now.

BRING THE FESTIVAL TO YOUR COMMUNITY or CAMPUS: Reserve Your Date:
Email Producer@ClimateFutureFilm.com. Visit ClimateFutureFilm.com.

Best Film
David Fox Imagination Award for Best Direction
Best Cinematography
Best Actor

Entries, including title and credits, must have a run time of 26 or fewer minutes.

COMPLETION DATE: Films must have been completed AFTER JANUARY 1, 2023.

The Festival welcomes fiction, nonfiction, documentary, drama, comedy, experimental, underground, animation, sci-fi, and ALL other short-film projects.

Films not in English must contain English subtitles (SRT files).

Eligible films have no premiere requirements or prior screening restrictions. Entries may have been screened at other festivals or exhibitions, broadcast or streamed on television or the Internet, and/or released on any home video or other public distribution platform.

PERMISSIONS
By submitting your Film, you are AGREEING to the following:

(1) While YOU reserve all rights and ownership in your Film, you are granting to the festival organizer, Merlyn Climate Grants, the non-exclusive PERMISSION to exhibit your Film, and/or to license others to exhibit your Film, in and as part of the "Climate Future Film Festival." The Festival begins in Rhode Island in late 2025 and then will travel to other cities internationally. Exhibition may be in physical venues such as performing arts centers, theaters, museums, and on campuses, as well as online, and in other media, at the sole discretion of Merlyn Climate Grants;

(2) You are granting to Merlyn Climate Grants and/or its licensees the non-exclusive PERMISSION to exhibit your Film TRAILER, if provided, and/or brief CLIPS from it or from your Film, without prior notice. This PERMISSION is granted whether the Film is selected for exhibition in the Festival or not selected. Such clips may appear on the Festival's social media pages for the purpose of promoting attendance at the Climate Future Film Festival;

(3) You are granting to Merlyn Climate Grants and/or its licensees the non-exclusive PERMISSION to exhibit any images included with your submission---excepting images that would typically remain offline for privacy (such as a copy of your student I.D., if submitted);

(4) You are giving your assurance to Merlyn Climate Grants that you are the legal and rightful owner of the submitted Film and that you own all copyrights to the Film, and that you have the unconditional right to grant Merlyn Climate Grants the non-exclusive PERMISSIONS detailed above in sections 1, 2, and 3;

(5) If your Film is accepted for screening in the Festival, you agree that it will not be withdrawn from the Festival, except at the sole discretion of Merlyn Climate Grants, once notification of its official selection has been emailed to you via FilmFreeway.

Thank you for making and sharing your film. We look forward to seeing your entry!

Climate Future Film Festivalâ„ 
[Updated 1/15/2025]

Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Jen Long

    A thoughtful selection of films addressing climate change: some grim, some funny, all carrying important messages for our times. Thank you, Climate Futures for considering my film as a finalist!

    November 2023
  • Ilana Goldman

    I regret that I was unable to attend the festival, but very honored to have my film included. I appreciated the clear communication from the festival director, Jim Stahl. I love that the festival is spreading its important message to other locations with touring.

    November 2023