
By Bailey Pennick
It's well known that here at the Sundance Institute we're committed to championing independent storytelling in all forms. By supporting the next generation of artists, we're thrilled to see their work changing the world that we live in.
During this year's Festival, we're hoping to inspire future filmmakers and audiences alike with thoughtful conversations and panels about how to use art to create the change we want to see in the world. Calling All Artists: The Climate Crisis Is Recruiting - an online event presented by Women at Sundance and Produced by Doc Society, Climate Story Unit - captured the hearts and minds of its attendees with immediate and tactical ways that artists can help Climate Change activists and organizations gain traction through storytelling.
Moderated by Doc Society's Megha Agrawal Sood (Head of Climate Story Unit) and Emily Wanja (Global Community Manager, Climate Story), the discussion included thought leaders from across the globe: Andrea Ixch u (Maya K'iche' leader and filmmaker, Guatemala), Geeta Persad (climate scientist, USA), Vanessa Nakate (climate justice activist, Uganda), and Farhana Yamin (climate legal advisor, United Kingdom).
The hour-plus conversation ran the gamut on how to best address climate change within all forms of art and storytelling. Below, find five takeaways from the powerful discussion.
1. Now is the time to start telling climate crisis stories. I think the reality is that no matter what your art is about, climate change is already in it because we are all already living in a climate change world. But I think we also have to recognize that art is really critical for helping us build the backbone to take on the tremendous and immediate work of addressing climate change. Art is how we understand and process our lived experience which is part of why it's so important that everybody's lived experience be included in that. If we can reveal the presence of climate change in our art, it'll really give us a way to look climate change in the eye, and to really grapple with what it means for the people and the the things that we love instead of, you know, having this sort of vague sense of foreboding but not really being able to to process it fully. We need that more than ever, and art and storytelling is really where that can come from. - Geeta Persad
The best time that artists would have gotten involved in the climate conversation would have been decades ago, and I think the next best time is right now We cannot have art on a dead planet, we cannot have creativity on a dead planet or storytelling on a dead planet, so I think that there is so much power in using the creativity of artists around the world in centering voices of activists from the most affected areas; in centering solutions you know that are needed or solutions that are already being implemented in different parts of the world. So I think that it would be wonderful if artists around the world understood that this is a global challenge that affects all of us. If we have a dead planet then we won't have any more and yet, we all need a piece of art in our life, so, while we still have a living planet, let us use art, let us use creativity, let us use everything that we have to ensure that we can have a more beautiful future for all of us. - Vanessa Nakate
2. We need to break out of bad climate crisis narratives. I would say [we need to] shift from talking about the future. Climate is always framed as a future problem, but it's not, so shift to talking about the past. [Also] locate yourself in the present and how you got here. Through that simple shift, you will begin to connect with our own histories, which are complex and which have resulted in nature being decimated for hundreds of years - as a result of very deep systems, which cannot be tackled through the market now alone [Additionally], In all our climate stories and dialogues, [we need to] focus on justice and not on emissions. We tend to look at climate as a very emission-centric, you know, supply-centric problem, but, actually, if you look at its impacts, and you look at justice and you look at who is emitting and who's impacted, you will get a nuance and much more balanced and much more inclusive picture. - Farhana Yamin
[The climate crisis narrative] that I've heard recently that's really started grating on me is this idea that we only have 10 years to save the world. Let me tell you why I find that a little bit grating: I think one issue is that it gives the impression that if we don't do it in 10 years then it's not worth it. And, you know, I think it's really important that we recognize that it is always going to be worth it to do whatever we can to make things better. Having that kind of cliff makes it easy for pessimists - or for people who prefer the status quo - to sort of throw up their hands and say, well that's impossible so let's not even try.
Then I think there's also the flip side of it, where, when you put 10 years on it, that means we have 10 years to get serious, so we can wait out the clock for the next 10 years. But I think one of the most important things is that it perpetuates this idea that solving climate change is going to be a one-and-done thing. It's really important to recognize that we're going to keep making decisions that affect the climate that we live in, and so what we really need is to create a more inclusive, just, and thoughtful system of institutions and legal and economic frameworks. We need to resource the communities that are already doing the work and bring them more into the center, so that we can transform our entire way of behaving as a world, so that we can sustainably approach our impact on the climate system.
So, I think it's really importan
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
07/10/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, today announced the latest Long-Term Supported (LTS) release of Dalet Flex. Build...
06/09/2026
June 9 2026, 23:00 (PDT) Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA Worl...
02/09/2026
Professional and collegiate clubs, leading vendors discuss current trends in stadium production
On. Aug. 12, the 2026 SVG Venues & Teams Summit explored the ev...
02/09/2026
SoFi Stadium, YouTube Theater, and Hollywood Park have completed an infrastructure upgrade expanding game presentation and broadcast production capabilities acr...
02/09/2026
Comcast Technology Solutions (CTS) has announced a suite of AI-powered workflow applications for broadcasters, content owners, and operators, built on its Video...
02/09/2026
The North American Broadcasters Association (NABA) and the Association of Professional Wireless Production Technologies (APWPT) have announced a partnership to ...
02/09/2026
Carolina Hurricanes, Anaheim Ducks, Columbus Blue Jackets, Dallas Stars, Minneso...
02/09/2026
New LED provides enhanced quality control, quicker show prep, detailed productio...
02/09/2026
Combines the Phat Drive with high-voltage valve circuit
The latest pedal from Keeley Electronics combines their popular Phat Mode drive pedal with an all-ne...
02/09/2026
Free version of virtual mixing room plug-in introduced
Lewitt's Space Replicator plug-in provides users with a virtual monitoring environment that aims ...
02/09/2026
Two new mixing & mastering plug-ins revealed
AIR Music Tech have just introduced the Stereophonic Bundle, a pair of processing plug-ins designed to provide ...
02/09/2026
Rohde & Schwarz has achieved initial verification of 3GPP Rel. 17 power-saving f...
02/09/2026
Bilbao - 3rd September 2026 -AgileTV, a leading provider of end-to-end TV and vi...
02/09/2026
Why agentic media supply chains need experience design built around visibility, reversibility and human authority
When AI can generate a functional interface ...
02/09/2026
Six-country survey finds 26% of sports fans frequently unable to determine where...
02/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
02/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
02/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
02/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
02/09/2026
KOKKEDAL, DENMARK, SEPTEMBER 1, 2026 DPA Microphones announces its new 6388 CORE Headset Microphone, a high-performance directional headset designed for dema...
02/09/2026
Pliant Technologies will highlight its CrewCom CXD 32CF 32x32 Dante /AES67 Digital Audio Network Interface, a powerful connectivity solution designed to expand ...
02/09/2026
iWedia, a leading provider of software solutions for connected TV devices, today announced two enhancements to Teatro Pulse, its end-to-end TV service operation...
02/09/2026
Signiant, trusted by the media industry for accelerated content movement for more than 20 years, will showcase the latest evolution of the Signiant Platform at ...
02/09/2026
With a contractual agreement to supply a leading UK sports broadcaster with outside broadcast services for 104 football matches per season over the next four ye...
02/09/2026
IBC2026 will put sport firmly at the centre of the global media and entertainment technology conversation with the strongest sports showing in the event's h...
02/09/2026
PTZOptics will bring a hands-on showcase of intelligent video production to IBC2026 (11-14 September, RAI Amsterdam), with demonstrations spanning new camera te...
02/09/2026
OOONA, a global provider of professional management and production tools for the media localization industry, today announced the launch of OOONA Go, a ready-to...
02/09/2026
EON Media will make its European debut at IBC2026 (September 11-14, RAI Amsterdam) in the show's Future Tech Zone (Hall 14.FT5). The company is launching it...
02/09/2026
Frequency, the engine behind many of the worlds leading streaming television channels, will demonstrate at IBC2026 how integrating intelligence throughout chann...
02/09/2026
On-device AI platform gives broadcasters and content creators purpose-built tools for real-time vertical video production and AI-enhanced sports coverage...
02/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
02/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
02/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
02/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
02/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
02/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
02/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
02/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
02/09/2026
Next-Generation Freeform Control Surfaces Lay the Foundation for AI-Enabled Media Operations
At IBC2026 (Sept. 11 14, RAI Amsterdam, Stand #1.B73), Imagine Com...
02/09/2026
Friedrichstadt-Palast in Berlin, the world's largest theater stage, has modernized its backstage production infrastructure with a comprehensive Riedel solut...
02/09/2026
Women in Media announces that it will host the two-day Reel/Forward in-person conference devoted to navigating today's production scene. Guests can enjoy pa...
02/09/2026
The expanded partnership brings Teradek's Live Production solutions to New Media AV's European dealer and integrator network, opening new opportunities ...
02/09/2026
QuickLink, a leading provider of award-winning video production and remote guest contribution solutions, announces a major expansion to its award winning Studio...
02/09/2026
BCNEXXT, the developers of the advanced playout platform Vipe, today announced that premium entertainment brand Foxtel has selected Vipe to underpin playout for...
02/09/2026
SubtitleNEXT helps HOT Telecom's subtitling team keep a cool head with reliable QC capabilities
Profuz Digital, global developer of digital media and local...
02/09/2026
Case Study: Mission Digital Strengthens Battery Safety with Safe-ion
As productions become increasingly dependent on battery-powered equipment, the safe storag...
02/09/2026
LA JOLLA, CA-Influenza viruses constantly shapeshift to evade recognition by the immune system. This shapeshifting occurs in critical proteins like hemagglutini...
02/09/2026
LA JOLLA, CA-Clinicians often use a medical test called a 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) to diagnose heart problems, which uses electrodes placed on the chest ...
02/09/2026
LA JOLLA, CA-Proteins may look like rigid molecular structures, but inside our c...