Filmmaking Conversations Podcast with Damien Swaby
Filmmaking Conversations Podcast with Damien Swaby
Damien Swaby
Ep 251: Lights, Camera, Climate: Building a Festival for a Warming World
43 minutes Posted Aug 8, 2025 at 6:15 pm.
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Show notes
In this episode, we sit down with Alec, co-founder of the New York Climate Film Festival, to explore how cinema is being used to spark conversations around climate change. From building a community of diverse storytellers to rethinking what climate narratives can look like, Alec shares the journey of starting a film festival focused on one of the most urgent issues of our time. Whether you're a filmmaker, climate advocate, or simply a lover of good stories, this episode uncovers the creative intersections where art meets environmental action.📝 Show Notes:In this episode, we discuss:
  • 🎬 The origin story of the New York Climate Film Festival
  • 🌍 Why climate is as much a cultural issue as a scientific one
  • 🧠 How experimental and narrative formats push climate storytelling forward
  • 🤝 Collaborations between artists, scientists, and curators
  • 🎥 What Alec looks for in a festival film submission
🛠️ The real challenges (and joys) of building a niche film festival
  • 🔊 The underrated power of good sound in indie filmmaking
  • 🐝 Highlighting “Keeper,” a touching short film about beekeeping and family in the Bronx
  • 📈 Hopes for the future of media, festivals, and climate narratives
🎬 Mentioned Films & Resources:
  • One With the Whale – a coming-of-age climate story set in the Aleutian Islands
  • Keeper by Hannah Rafkin – a short film about a father-daughter beekeeping duo
  • Climate storytelling resources:
    • Good Energy Playbook
    • Climate Spring (UK)
    • Earth Angel (sustainable production)
    • Albert (BAFTA’s sustainability program)
W: https://www.climatefilmfest.com