What a magical weekend! Thank you all for coming and for your inspiring films, words, and conversations. While the main festival is wrapped, there’s still more to catch with our friends and CFF partner events this week:
Thursday, September 25
World Premiere of The Price of Milk Ep. 4: The Kids are Not Alright (Cooper Union, 7 East 7th Street) In school cafeterias, milk is inevitable. Even as younger generations trend towards dairy-free lifestyles—and students of color speak up about lactose intolerance—cartons of milk continue to find their way onto lunch trays. At 17, Marielle Williamson launched a lawsuit against the Los Angeles School District and USDA, fighting for her First Amendment rights to challenge the ubiquity of milk in schools. Her battle is kindred to the work of Leslie Martinez, a policy advocate who represents communities living with the effects of climate change and dairy pollution. A panel featuring the director and activists from the film follows the screening.
Saturday, September 27
HAHApocalypse (Caveat, 21 A Clinton Street): See comedians of all kinds tackle the greatest challenge of our time and call out the bad guys burning down the livable climate so they can buy a 5th house. From standup to sketch, impressionists to fake TED-talkers, each show features a completely different lineup of outstanding comic talents from New York and beyond, all finding the ha-has in the existential threat of climate crisis.
Sunday, September 28
Zeitgeist: Harnessing The Storms Of Change (Prime Produce, 424 W 54th Street): This interactive workshop will consider the CFF zeitgeist from festival conversation with audiences and filmmakers and the films we’ve shared. Explore strategies for crafting rich climate narratives for the screen. Identify burning questions that can motivate a climate story, research methods and narrative strategies that reflect the complexity of our climate-changed world. We’ll examine the role stories play in fostering empathy, shifting perceptions, and inspiring audiences in meaningful dialogue to drive civic engagement.
Online through Sunday, September 28
💧 Upstream, Downriver: Uniting for Water Justice: (dir. Maggie Stogner, 2025) takes viewers into the heart of communities that are uniting for water justice to achieve significant change and find innovative solutions. Powerful stories with frontline community activists are interwoven with historical context about landmark regulations that significantly reduced water pollution in the U.S. but failed to serve disadvantaged communities that are hardest hit by today’s climate crisis. Streaming now on WaterBear as part of the Climate Film Festival.
🙏 Thank You to our 2025 Festival Sponsors & Supporters
Support for the festival comes from The Carmack Collective, NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council), Universal Pictures, Nespresso, Agog, Watershed, Climate Power, Earth Rising Foundation, Lower Manhattan Cultural Council, SNØCAP, Tidal Vision, Pique Action, Earthrise Studio, and The Puffin Foundation.
The Guardian is the presenting media sponsor. The festival logo and design come from Studio Rodrigo. Legal services are from Romanette Legal. Earth Angel is the sustainability partner. Ecodeo created the festival trailer. The Everset provided furniture. Edge Auto loaned electrical vehicle services. The marquee theater partner is Regal. Awards are hand-crafted by Fernanda Uribe-Horta. Business development services were provided by ImpactECI.
Food and beverage in-kind partners include Bronx Brewery, Stumptown,Cafe d’Avignon, and Open Water. Screenings and events take place at DGA Theater, Regal Essex Crossing, Essex Market, and SVA Theatre.
This project is made possible in part with funds from Creative Engagement, a regrant program supported by the funding agencies the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA), the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs (DCLA), the Upper Manhattan Empowerment Zone (UMEZ), and the Howard Gilman Foundation, and administered by LMCC.