ABOUT
Too often the climate movement finds itself stuck in an echo chamber, sharing the same stories with the same people. We believe film and storytelling are a powerful, yet under leveraged tool to break this cycle – offering a way to convene new audiences left out of the climate conversation and build the political will necessary for lasting change.
Building on the campaigns for our films Chasing Ice and Chasing Coral, Film in the Field aims to support advocacy groups across the U.S. in using the unique power of film to build a more inclusive climate majority by:
Shifting the cultural conversation
Connect to new audiences and energize your base
Increasing policymaker contact
Drive legislator accountability and challenge climate skeptics
Building a Stronger Movement
Ignite deep thinking with stakeholders and nurture allyship
“Film as an organizing tool – it’s glue, it’s connection. It opens doors that we haven’t been able to open before.”
– John Tynan, Executive Director, Conservation Voters of South Carolina
OUR PARTNERSHIP MODEL
We help groups use film and storytelling to advance their work through:
Targeted campaigns
We work with organizations to expand their capacity for film-based organizing on campaigns where film can drive measurable outcomes that we can scale to new regions
The library
We are developing a catalog of films and organizing tools to support groups in using storytelling as part of their distributed campaigns
CASE STUDIES
South Carolina
Energy Freedom Act passes following statewide film tour
Alongside CVSC (Conservation Voters of S.C.), we created the Dear South Carolina Tour, using film to advance solar legislation. The statewide tour featured films to reach audiences that legislators don’t typically hear from on clean energy –– such as The Burden to engage armed forces and Beasts of the Southern Wild to reach communities of color. Guests shared messages directed at their legislator calling for a transition to clean energy. The visible groundswell of support from 30+ screenings in 12 counties drew 8 Republican legislators to our events and was a critical factor in securing unanimous passage of the Energy Freedom Act in May 2019.
Ohio
Congressman Tiberi responds to call, joining Climate Solutions Caucus
In the Spring of 2014 we launched the Chasing Ice Ohio Tour in an attempt to use the film to shift the political conversation around climate change. As a society, for us to address climate change properly, we need our leaders in Washington to stop debating about whether or not it is actually happening and start taking action. So we decided to take Chasing Ice to one Congressional district, where Congressman Pat Tiberi (OH-12) had denied climate change. Congressman Tiberi responded to the call, changing his stance on climate change and even joined the Climate Solutions Caucus.
Georgia
After-work screenings drive millennials to the polls on climate issues
Using the voter file we identified that there are 15+ million registered voters who care deeply about the environment, but regularly do not vote. To activate this group in Atlanta, we launched the Big Screen Bloc Party, using film to grow the environmental voter bloc ahead of mid-terms. The series featured unexpected film selections to educate Atlantans about environmental issues at stake in local elections. Bloc partiers contributed to the highest early voter turnout in a midterm election and doubling young voter turnout since 2014.
JOIN US
Interested in partnering on a campaign? Want updates on new films and tools that can support your work?
Let’s chat! Get in touch and schedule a conversation about climate storytelling here.