NRDC, The Black List, The Redford Center, The CAA Foundation Announce Recipients of Climate Storytelling Fellowship

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LOS ANGELES — NRDC, The Black List, The Redford Center and The CAA Foundation are thrilled to announce the three recipients for the 2022 submission cycle of the NRDC Climate Storytelling Fellowship, a program to support writers in developing compelling, constructive and inclusive climate stories.

We’re thrilled to announce the 2023 fellows for our Climate Storytelling Fellowship in partnership with @theblcklst, @redfordcenter, and @caafoundation. Congrats to @Marlee_Fox (AND AWAY), @thequinngm (THIS LIGHT OF MINE), and Joshua Ravenwood (S.O.S. SCOUNDRELS OF STATE)! pic.twitter.com/d3AinyBJA0

— NRDC 🌎🏡 (@NRDC) February 17, 2023

The program received a record 348 submissions on The Black List’s website this cycle, an increase from 240 the year before. Of the feature screenplays and pilots submitted, Marlee Fox (AND AWAY), Quinn Garrett Martin (THIS LIGHT OF MINE) and Joshua Ravenwood (S.O.S. SCOUNDRELS OF STATE) were selected for their unique and captivating portrayals of the climate crisis.

Each fellow will be paired with an entertainment industry professional who will mentor and advise them on making their climate stories more engaging and impactful. This year’s mentors include Emmy® Award-winner Pamela Adlon (BETTER THINGS), Emmy® Award-nominee and WGA Award-winner Dorothy Fortenberry (EXTRAPOLATIONS, THE HANDMAID’S TALE), and best-selling author Roxane Gay (WORLD OF WAKANDA, BAD FEMINIST).

In addition to their creative mentorships, each fellow will receive a $20,000 grant to help bring their stories to life as well as an opportunity to have their work reviewed by prominent studios, agencies, and production companies including Hyperobject Industries, Madica Productions, Participant, United Talent Agency and WME.

“Investing in stories that show the diverse faces and impacts of a climate-altered world is crucial for us to process the crisis and move toward action,” notes Katy Jacobs, Director of Entertainment Partnerships and Founder of the NRDC Climate Storytelling Fellowship. “We are thrilled to support these scripts which creatively engage with the climate crisis on a human and emotional level and explore characters grappling with their climate realities.”

The NRDC Climate Storytelling Fellowship is a part of NRDC’s Rewrite the Future program that works alongside entertainment industry experts to transform the on-screen portrayal of climate change.

Last summer, The Black List and NRDC’s Rewrite the Future produced a virtual event, “Writing for a Sustainable Future: Climate Storytelling Tips for Film and Television,” a conversation about challenges and opportunities in writing climate narratives as well as information about applying for the fellowship. 2021 fellow Elise Greven and her mentor, industry playwright and producer ​​Sarah Treem, also shared their experiences with the Climate Storytelling Fellowship. The event was hosted by Jacobs and ​​Megan Halpern, Senior Vice President of The Black List, and included programming from NRDC, The Black List, CAA Foundation, Doc Society Climate Story Unit, and The Redford Center.

2023 Climate Storytelling Fellows and Projects:

AND AWAY by Marlee Fox

AND AWAY is set in the midst of a global event in which Earth’s gravity slowly begins to reverse. A young woman returns home to investigate her father’s disappearance, all while navigating a tenuous relationship with her mother and a society whose perspective on weight is actively in flux.

Marlee Fox grew up in Annapolis, Maryland and experienced a childhood and early education inextricably linked to the Chesapeake Bay that continues to inspire her writing and environmental advocacy.

“I am so excited to learn and take inspiration from environmental experts, industry professionals, and my cohort of fellows who believe not only in the ideals we are striving towards, but in our power to achieve them and in the value of storytelling as a tool in that endeavor.”

THIS LIGHT OF MINE by Quinn Garrett

THIS LIGHT OF MINE is an afro-surrealist exploration of environmental and spiritual exploitation as a biracial teenager reconciles with his lineage and identity.

Quinn Garrett Martin is a filmmaker from Los Angeles whose work strives to make modern mythology about our time.“I am excited and grateful to be a part of this fellowship while honoring personal heroes like climate activist Hazel Johnson, the mother of environmental justice. I believe as storytellers and culture makers, we must explore our time’s existential and looming questions to enact change for a better and more sustainable future.”

S.O.S SCOUNDRELS OF STATE by Joshua Ravenwood

S.O.S. SCOUNDRELS OF STATE is a comedy set in the 1970s, and features an aging fixer who is fired from one of D.C.’s most ethically-flexible law firms. The fixer vows to take revenge against his old firm by teaming up with a group of young environmental activists who are trying to save the world.

Joshua Ravenwood is a writer and filmmaker who grew up on a small lake near Detroit that was often condemned, throughout his childhood, for containing dangerous levels of toxic waste.

“I’m honored to have been chosen for the fellowship, and am excited for the opportunity to learn, to improve my craft, and to collaborate with smart people who have knowledge and experiences that I may not have. I truly believe positive climate storytelling matters, and to work with others who share that passion is a real blessing.”

Courtesy of NRDC.