Now Accepting Submissions for CFF 2026!
Plus, have your say in CFF's future plans, our 2025 annual report is live, and upcoming events & opportunities
We’re thrilled to announce that CFF is back for 2026, and our call for film submissions is now open!
We invite you to join CFF from September 18th - 21st for our third multi-day festival, including screenings, panels, Q&As, filmmaker parties, climate and culture sector mixers, workshops, networking opportunities, nonprofit tabling, industry showcases, and more.
Submissions are open until May 15th, but the early bird deadline is February 19th, so don’t hesitate! You can submit on FilmFreeway here.
Stay tuned for information about an open call launch party—coming soon to an NYC neighborhood near you!
In this Newsletter:
💡 Open Call FAQ
✨ 2025 CFF Annual Report
❓ CFF Festival Survey - We Want Your Feedback!
📆 Upcoming Events
🌱 Opportunities & Other Events
💡Open Call FAQ
Is my film the right fit?
If you’re asking, yes! CFF promotes climate storytelling across genres and from a broad range of perspectives. We welcome features, shorts, and TV & Internet episodes across formats, including documentaries, scripted/narrative films, animations, children’s programs, experimental works, and music videos. We look for films that approach climate themes and expand on climate-related narratives, whether explicitly or implicitly.
When and where is the Climate Film Festival?
CFF will take place Friday, September 18th through Monday, September 21st in venues across New York City. CFF occurs during the opening weekend of Climate Week NYC, the largest gathering of its kind, attracting policymakers and change makers from around the world.
What are CFF’s submission deadlines?
February 19: Early bird Deadline (Discounted submission fees)
March 27: Regular Deadline
May 15: Extended Deadline
July 10: Notification Date
What is the evaluation process?
Every film is seen by at least two screeners who evaluate it based on a standardized rubric. We look for films that are well made, compelling, and include engaging takes on climate and related issues. The top-scoring films are then curated by our programming team, who make the official festival selections. All selected films will be shown in-person in NYC as part of the festival and are awards-eligible.
Award winners are selected by a jury of industry leaders from film and climate. Check out the 2025 award winners and jury here.
Who attends CFF?
In 2025, we had over 3,000 attendees. Audiences included a mix of film industry, climate professionals, and general audience. We expect an even larger, more diverse group in 2026.
✨ 2025 CFF Annual Report
❓CFF Survey—We Want Your Feedback!
Attend the 2025 festival? Have thoughts on the future of climate cinema, and want to have your say? We’d love your feedback on how to improve the festival experience as we continue to grow in 2026!
Filling out surveys can often be a hassle, but it truly helps—funders ask for this information, and taking five minutes will support CFF in 2025and beyond!
PLUS: everyone who fills out the survey will be entered to win a CFF shirt and CFF socks.
It only takes a few minutes, so what are you waiting for?
📆 Upcoming Events
HAHApocalypse
New York’s hottest climate comedy variety show is kicking off 2026 with a bang! Join us for “Cuffing Szn,” a special edition collab with our friends at the popular dating comedy show, Do You Still Like Me. It’s cold and scary out there and we want to help all of our single activists find a sexy someone to get cuffed to – metaphorically and also maybe literally because people who protest together stay together?!
Buy your tickets here and sign up to be an audience dater here.
The Impact Lounge
The Impact Lounge returns to Park City, originating at the Sundance Film Festival and now a traveling hub where filmmakers, changemakers, and creative leaders come together to spark meaningful change through the power of narrative and film.
They’ll be at Prospector Square January 23–28 for a week of conversations, community, and connection—featuring great snacks, gatherings, and sessions focused on storytelling for social impact, including conversations on climate action. Registration is free, but space is limited. One registration gets you access all week long. Registration link here.