NRDC, The Black List, The Redford Center, The CAA Foundation Announce Recipients of Climate Storytelling Fellowship

LOS ANGELES – NRDC, The Black List, The Redford Center and The CAA Foundation are thrilled to announce the three recipients for the 2022 submission cycle of the NRDC Climate Storytelling Fellowship, a program to support writers in developing compelling, constructive and inclusive climate stories.

The program received a record 348 submissions on The Black List’s website this cycle, an increase from 240 the year before. Of the feature screenplays and pilots submitted, Marlee Fox (AND AWAY), Quinn Garrett Martin (THIS LIGHT OF MINE) and Joshua Ravenwood (S.O.S. SCOUNDRELS OF STATE) were selected for their unique and captivating portrayals of the climate crisis. 

Each fellow will be paired with an entertainment industry professional who will mentor and advise them on making their climate stories more engaging and impactful. This year’s mentors include Emmy® Award-winner Pamela Adlon (BETTER THINGS), Emmy® Award-nominee and WGA Award-winner Dorothy Fortenberry (EXTRAPOLATIONS, THE HANDMAID’S TALE), and best-selling author Roxane Gay (WORLD OF WAKANDA, BAD FEMINIST).

In addition to their creative mentorships, each fellow will receive a $20,000 grant to help bring their stories to life as well as an opportunity to have their work reviewed by prominent studios, agencies, and production companies including Hyperobject Industries, Madica Productions, Participant, United Talent Agency and WME.

“Investing in stories that show the diverse faces and impacts of a climate-altered world is crucial for us to process the crisis and move toward action,” notes Katy Jacobs, Director of Entertainment Partnerships and Founder of the NRDC Climate Storytelling Fellowship. “We are thrilled to support these scripts which creatively engage with the climate crisis on a human and emotional level and explore characters grappling with their climate realities.”

The NRDC Climate Storytelling Fellowship is a part of NRDC’s Rewrite the Future program that works alongside entertainment industry experts to transform the on-screen portrayal of climate change.

Last summer, The Black List and NRDC’s Rewrite the Future produced a virtual event, “Writing for a Sustainable Future: Climate Storytelling Tips for Film and Television,” a conversation about challenges and opportunities in writing climate narratives as well as information about applying for the fellowship. 2021 fellow Elise Greven and her mentor, industry playwright and producer ​​Sarah Treem, also shared their experiences with the Climate Storytelling Fellowship. The event was hosted by Jacobs and ​​Megan Halpern, Senior Vice President of The Black List, and included programming from NRDC, The Black List, CAA Foundation, Doc Society Climate Story Unit, and The Redford Center.

2023 Climate Storytelling Fellows and Projects:

AND AWAY by Marlee Fox
AND AWAY is set in the midst of a global event in which Earth's gravity slowly begins to reverse. A young woman returns home to investigate her father's disappearance, all while navigating a tenuous relationship with her mother and a society whose perspective on weight is actively in flux.

Marlee Fox grew up in Annapolis, Maryland and experienced a childhood and early education inextricably linked to the Chesapeake Bay that continues to inspire her writing and environmental advocacy.

“I am so excited to learn and take inspiration from environmental experts, industry professionals, and my cohort of fellows who believe not only in the ideals we are striving towards, but in our power to achieve them and in the value of storytelling as a tool in that endeavor.”

THIS LIGHT OF MINE by Quinn Garrett 
THIS LIGHT OF MINE is an afro-surrealist exploration of environmental and spiritual exploitation as a biracial teenager reconciles with his lineage and identity.
Quinn Garrett Martin is a filmmaker from Los Angeles whose work strives to make modern mythology about our time.“I am excited and grateful to be a part of this fellowship while honoring personal heroes like climate activist Hazel Johnson, the mother of environmental justice. I believe as storytellers and culture makers, we must explore our time's existential and looming questions to enact change for a better and more sustainable future.”

S.O.S SCOUNDRELS OF STATE by Joshua Ravenwood
S.O.S. SCOUNDRELS OF STATE is a comedy set in the 1970s, and features an aging fixer who is fired from one of D.C.'s most ethically-flexible law firms. The fixer vows to take revenge against his old firm by teaming up with a group of young environmental activists who are trying to save the world. 

Joshua Ravenwood is a writer and filmmaker who grew up on a small lake near Detroit that was often condemned, throughout his childhood, for containing dangerous levels of toxic waste.

“I’m honored to have been chosen for the fellowship, and am excited for the opportunity to learn, to improve my craft, and to collaborate with smart people who have knowledge and experiences that I may not have. I truly believe positive climate storytelling matters, and to work with others who share that passion is a real blessing.”

About NRDC
NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council) is an international nonprofit environmental organization with more than 3 million members and online activists. Since 1970, our lawyers, scientists, and other environmental specialists have worked to protect the world's natural resources, public health, and the environment. NRDC has offices in New York City, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Bozeman, MT, and Beijing. Visit us at www.nrdc.org and follow us on Twitter @NRDC.

About The Black List
The Black List, an annual survey of Hollywood executives' favorite unproduced screenplays, was founded in 2005. Since then, over 440 Black List scripts have been produced, grossing over $30 billion in box office worldwide. Black List movies have won 60 Academy Awards from 283 nominations, including four of the last 15 Best Picture Oscars and eleven of the last 30 Best Screenplay Oscars.

In October of 2012, the Black List launched a unique online community where screenwriters make their work available to readers, buyers and employers. Since its inception, it has hosted nearly 80,000 screenplays and teleplays and provided more than 130,000 script evaluations. As a direct result of introductions made on the Black List, dozens of writers have found representation at major talent agencies and management companies, as well as sold or optioned their screenplays. Several films have been produced from scripts showcased on the website including Golden Globe nominated NIGHTINGALE, starring David Oyelowo.

Currently, the Black List hosts over 5,000 scripts by approximately 3,700 writer members. These scripts are available for download by industry professionals ranging from agency assistants, to studio and network presidents, to A-list actors and directors.
More information on the Black List is available at www.blcklst.com. For regular updates, join our mailing list or follow us on Twitter and Instagram.

About The Redford Center
Co-founded in 2005 by Robert Redford and his son James Redford, The Redford Center is a nonprofit organization that advances environmental solutions through the power of stories that move. Over the years, The Redford Center has produced three award-winning feature documentaries and more than 40 short films, supported more than 150 film and media projects with grants and other services, inspired the creation of more than 550 student films, and dispersed more than $10 million to fiscally sponsored projects. Redford Center films and impact campaigns have halted the construction of dirty coal plants, restored the Colorado River Delta, reconnected people to nature, and helped accelerate the clean energy revolution and clean transportation solutions in communities across America. For more information, visit redfordcenter.org.

About the CAA Foundation
The CAA Foundation activates the power and reach of the entertainment, media, and sports industries to create systemic social change for a more equitable and optimistic future. Its efforts are focused on public education, workforce development, civic engagement, and in times of critical need, mobilizing into action through crisis relief. Since its launch in 1995, the CAA Foundation has served as the heart of the agency, investing in our communities and helping our clients achieve their humanitarian goals.