A joyful, forward-thinking discussion envisioning a Hollywood that embraces the importance of values-forward storytelling and workflows. This conversation draws connections between sustainable production, better access and resources for diverse storytellers, storytelling that reflects our values, and their relationship to building something better.

The climate crisis is taking a toll on our children's physical, mental, and emotional well-being. How can we effectively communicate climate knowledge, particularly through children's media, to instill hope in future generations? Join our panel of scientists, advocates, and storytellers as we explore the crucial role of media in educating and inspiring young people about environmental conservation and climate action. We'll discuss how creators are approaching climate education across various platforms, including strategies for engaging both kids and parents. By emphasizing the importance of intergenerational conversations, both on and off screen, this discussion will provide valuable insights for creators of children's content and foster meaningful dialogue at home.

Television has become a pivotal medium for climate stories, allowing creatives to express climate realities alongside their characters as they grow and change throughout a season. This past year saw an unprecedented surge in climate-themed television across a diverse range of genres. In this discussion, we'll challenge the misconception that incorporating climate into storytelling makes it less appealing to audiences. Instead, we'll showcase how climate themes have sparked creativity in television. Featuring shows like "Murder at the End of the World," "The Girls on the Bus," "Hacks," and more.

When it comes to understanding climate solutions, firsthand stories from local communities experiencing climate impacts are often easier to grasp than global data points. This panel explores the importance of local storytelling in conveying climate change and sustainability. We'll examine how regional narratives connect with national-level discussions. From hometowns featured in mainstream entertainment to the pathways for local community storytellers to reach a national audience, we'll also discuss the tools local reporters use to frame climate information. Join us as we highlight how climate solutions hit close to home.

Join Secretary Granholm and Patty Jenkins as they delve into strategies for effectively communicating clean energy and the IRA to non-climate audiences while exploring methods to cultivate a robust and diverse workforce for the future of clean energy, reflective of our nation's strength and inclusivity.

This summer, the epic studio disaster movie returns with Twisters, an adrenaline-pumping, big-screen thrill ride from Universal Pictures, Warner Bros. and Amblin. The film, in theaters July 19, puts audiences in direct contact with one of nature’s most wondrous—and destructive—forces. In this program, the director of Twisters, Oscar nominee Lee Isaac Chung, executive producer Ashley Jay Sandberg, and others discuss the art, science and responsibility of incorporating climate research into blockbuster film experiences.

To many of us, climate (and general) disinformation feels like this behemoth with thousands of tendrils wreaking havoc on the human race. If we zoom out, the roots of this problem tie directly to Big Industry―major corporations that have been shaping our concepts of social, political, and environmental issues through marketing and PR since the late 1800s. Long before anyone was worrying about AI or global warming. This program will feature panel discussion spotlighting key media-makers, activists, and journalists combating climate disinformation.

Join us for a captivating variety show featuring Hip Hop & R&B artists, poets, storytellers, and frontline leaders as they share their perspectives on what home truly means. From tales of forced migration and the ongoing fight for clean air and water to the right to thrive on ancestral land, this event will take you on a powerful journey through personal narratives and social commentary.

Join NRDC’s Rewrite the Future for a conversation with Dorothy Fortenberry (The Handmaid's Tale, Extrapolations) and Roxane Gay (Bad Feminist, World of Wakanda), moderated by Rosanna Xia. The discussion will focus on climate change and world building, how entertainment can shift cultural narratives, and the importance of mentoring new voices.

Some of the most meaningful climate leadership is happening in your neighborhood, at your workplace, and on your school board. It’s citizen scientist moms monitoring air pollution in their neighborhoods and teachers pooling resources for a school garden. Not only do many of these efforts defy political and ideological differences, they inspire and support people from all walks of life to see themselves as leaders. We’ll spotlight stories that elevate people who invest in their communities, hear from creatives who have messaged politically and socially to audiences we need to be reaching, and examine media’s role in shaping who we value as leaders.

Academy members in conversation about the importance of integrating sustainable practices into their work.

How are leaders across the media landscape transforming their industries to meet the moment? Join us for a deep dive into the state of the media and entertainment industry, where leaders converge to share strategies for meaningful change. Gain invaluable insights into industry dynamics, cultural transformations, and evolving consumer behaviors driving sustainability.

The world premiere of the animated short film, ASALI, which follows a colorful group of pollinators and an environmental scientist as they unravel a trail of secrets to discover if they can save their home from a monstrous and deadly force. After screening the film (runtime: 20 minutes), filmmaker Maya Penn will moderate a Q+A with the cast and crew.

From photographs that move literal oceans to social media campaigns that activate millions–this panel examines unconventional actions that challenge traditional approaches to social impact and inspire bigger thinking on what is possible with climate campaigns.

We kick off the closing of the summit with a visionary keynote event. Esteemed speakers will take the stage for brief, impactful talks, sharing their visions for the future. Their perspectives will strengthen community ties, ignite our collective imagination, and inspire us to commit to a bold new path forward where culture makers leverage their expertise and platforms to advance values-based storytelling.

Most media professionals’ jobs are to develop worlds–whether that’s building a set for a location they’ve never seen or creating a completely new universe many years from now. While there’s magic in generating from scratch, there’s so much we can glean from current technology and data that is making scientific predictions for future versions of our world. This workshop will allow writers, executives and producers, visual artists, and more, to combine the future visions they dream of with the scientific facts they’ve learned to generate a joyful reimagining of the near-future.

AN INTERGUILD & Unions DISCUSSION WITH LEADERS OF Producers Guild of America • IATSE Local 600 • Directors Guild of America IATSE Local 728 • Art Directors Guild Local 800 Unions and Guilds are working together to create a culture of sustainability on film & tv productions. Join us for an inter-departmental conversation to learn how creatives and crew are rallying around Clean Energy, Climate Storytelling, and Circularity, Materials & Waste reduction.

Stories To Save The World webinar is brought to you by Futerra Solutions Union, an independent non-profit who uses the power of culture to flip the narrative of climate change from problems to solutions. Presented by climate storytelling expert Solitaire Townsend with social media guru Jaya Adapa, this webinar will share tools, new insights and stories to save the world. Can we think about audiences differently? Is there a better creative proposition? What’s the alternative to apocalypse narratives? How can character and worldbuilding play a part? Do parables count? In our time together, we will cover the bases of climate storytelling, marry the logic of climate science with the magic of storytelling and talk about what’s next. Get your questions ready for our experts!