CFF ’25 Film Program is LIVE! 🎬
50 films. 31 premieres. 4 unforgettable days of programming. Get your tickets today!
The wait is over! The official film program for the 2nd annual Climate Film Festival is here! Get ready for four days of impactful films and inspiring discussions from September 19-22, 2025.
Get your tickets today for an early-bird 10% discount.
In this newsletter:
Discover CFF’s 2025 Lineup
Volunteer With Us!.
CFF 2025: The Schedule
🍿 Opening Night
Friday, Sept. 19 at DGA New York Theater, 110 W. 57th St.
The festival kicks off with the 25th anniversary new 4K remaster of Erin Brockovich, presented in partnership with Universal Pictures. Conversation to follow.
🎬 Festival Screenings
Saturday, Sept. 20 and Sunday, Sept. 21 at Regal Essex Crossing, 129 Delancey St.
Attend two full days of finalist screenings across 18 programs. The weekend concludes with the NYC premiere of Trade Secret, directed by Abraham Joffe, a sweeping global exposé of the legal trade in polar bear pelts, and the powerful institutions complicit in it.
✨ Public & Industry Programs
Saturday, Sept. 20 and Sunday, Sept. 21 at Essex Market, 88 Essex St.
Discover over nine live sessions, including panels, workshops, and partner activations, on climate storytelling, sustainable production, distribution pathways, and more. Full list TBA.
🏆 Awards Night
Sunday, Sept. 21, venue TBA
This invite-only evening sponsored by NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council) features five juried prizes honoring outstanding work across Feature Documentary, Short Documentary, Short Narrative, Student Choice, and a special Horizon Award for filmmakers under 30. Winners will be selected by a distinguished panel of leaders in film, journalism, climate justice, and the creative industries.
🌅 Narrative Change Summit
Monday, Sept. 22 at SVA Theatre, 333 W. 23rd St.
This full-day summit brings together filmmakers, foundations, creative agencies, and nonprofit leaders to explore strategies for reshaping climate narratives. Full agenda TBA. Save the date here.
CFF 2025: The Films
The Climate Film Festival returns with a selection of 50 films spanning genres from feature film to short documentary. This year’s selection includes 31 film premieres, bringing these movies to New York City screens for the very first time. Want to see the full lineup? Check out our line up here.
What’s in this year’s festival?
9 feature documentaries, from gripping investigative thrillers that span the globe to stirring stories of resilience in the face of change.
A stunning lineup of narrative films: a truly one-of-a-kind feature film of a girl raised by wolves (and much more), and a block of magical realist shorts on the legacies we inherit and leave behind, from Thailand to the Salton Sea.
Documentary shorts programs on biodiversity and our relationship to nonhuman animals, “eco-nomics” and climate solutions, and indigenous stories of land and reclamation.
Tectonics, our new landmark experimental program, bringing an expansive lens to how we see (and hear) climate on screen.
Saturday and Sunday morning family programming, introducing climate to the next generation - and learning from them while we’re at it.
🙋 Volunteer at CFF ’25!
Calling all film lovers, environmentalists, and local New Yorkers! We’re still looking for energetic, passionate, creative, and hands-on volunteers to help make our festival a success.
Whether it’s working the box office, greeting filmmakers, or creating social media content, our volunteers are at the heart of the festival. Click here to learn more and apply.
Thanks to the Filmmakers!
This year, we received over 450 submissions and were blown away by the depth, creativity, and urgency of the films in contention. It’s a testament to the vibrant and growing global community of filmmakers using cinema to engage with the climate crisis in bold, imaginative ways. We’re deeply grateful to everyone who shared their work with us. Choosing just a weekend’s worth of programming was no easy task, and we only wish we had more time to spotlight the full range of stories and voices.
This incredible response inspires us to keep growing: to expand the platform, deepen our year-round programming, and find new ways to celebrate and support the artists shaping the future of climate storytelling.
Thanks to our 2025 Festival Sponsors
The Carmack Collective, NRDC (Natural Resource Defense Council), Universal Pictures, Nespresso, Earth Rising Foundation, Lower Manhattan Cultural Council, The Puffin Foundation, and ImpactECI, with more to be announced.
The Guardian is the presenting media sponsor. The festival logo and design come from Studio Rodrigo. Legal services from Romanette Legal. The marquee theatre partner is Regal.