The must-see future world of abundance created by the Resilience Frontiers pathways will be coming to a screen near you this year.
film festival, launched against the backdrop of the illustrious Sundance Film Festival, invites filmmakers worldwide to turn the action-packed Resilience Frontiers pathways into short documentaries that “bring to life” the desirable future we can creatively design together using the 8 pathways.
“Filmmakers have a unique ability to open our eyes and shape our perspective of the world. And through the future-lens of the eight Resilience Frontiers pathways of transformative change, they have an opportunity to bring to life the desirable future world that the pathways create,” said Youssef Nassef, Director of adaptation at UNFCCC and founder of Resilience Frontiers. “So, we welcome this partnership with Perry World House at the University of Pennsylvania, and look forward to watching the future we all want to see—and can build together—appearing on the silver screen.”
The winners will receive a monetary prize and have the chance to see their films screened by Resilience Frontiers at a key international UNFCCC event, as well as at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia.
“What we are hearing from young people today is that it is difficult for them to imagine a future that is not grim,” said PWH Deputy Director Michael Weisberg, who co-leads the organization’s climate work. “Part of what we at Perry World House hope to do with this film festival to inspire people to see the future as bright—and then encourage them to make it so. We are thrilled to join with Resilience Frontiers for this festival and are grateful for their partnership on this project.”
“Climate has grown into one of the primary pillars of work at Perry World House,” said PWH Faculty Director Michael C. Horowitz. “Resilience Frontiers is a natural partnership for our extraordinarily policy-relevant climate work, and expanding our reach into the world of film is a natural progression for Perry World House’s engagement on the global stage.”
The new festival was announced at the 13th annual Penn event held at Sundance by Peter Decherney, a PWH faculty fellow and the Edmund J. and Louise W. Kahn endowed term professor in the humanities at the University of Pennsylvania, and PWH Executive Director Marie Harf.
“I have long advocated the use of film to communicate about science and policy,” said Decherney. “Film can add personal and human dimensions to global environmental issues. Climate and resilience are some of the most urgent challenges facing the world today, and we hope that filmmakers will take up the challenge of this festival to help us imagine a better future.
Harf adds: “One of the main goals of Perry World House is to bridge the policy-academia divide, including in ways related to the arts and culture. By engaging filmmakers from around the world, policymakers and academics will be able to view the challenges surrounding climate change through a new global—and often more personal—lens.”
See here for further information and keep an eye on our website for updates.