Chair's Discussion Series: Climate Storytelling 101
Please join NRDC’s Rewrite the Future and Tisch’s Department of Dramatic Writing for a panel discussion on writing the climate-change script.
Rewrite the Future Director and Emmy-winning filmmaker Daniel Hinerfield, producer and long-time studio executive Meredith Milton (The Eyes of Tammy Faye, The Favourite), and Entertainment Partnerships Director Katy Jacobs, will share their expertise on bringing stories of climate change onto the screen in discussion with DDW Chair Joe Vinciguerra and Assistant Arts Professor Jessie Keyt.
This panel, open to all, will feature a presentation on climate storytelling, a discussion of Hollywood's climate success stories, and an audience Q&A.
Climate Storytelling 101
Thursday, November 17
5:00pm - 6:30pm
Dean's Conference Room
721 Broadway, 12th Floor
Rewrite The Future
Event Description
A recent USC-Good Energy study on Climate Silence reported that only 0.6% of all scripted film and television released between 2016 and 2020 mention the term “climate change” and only 2.8% of all scripts included any climate-related terms. And yet, climate-change is the most pressing existential crisis of our time. The massive reach of film and television offers storytellers an incredible opportunity to break the silence.
Students, faculty, and staff of NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts are invited to a discussion and presentation on climate change storytelling in film and television, hosted by the Department of Dramatic Writing and NRDC’s Rewrite the Future. DDW Chair Joe Vinciguerra and Assistant Arts Professor Jessie Keyt will join Rewrite the Future’s Daniel Hinerfeld, Meredith Milton, and Katy Jacobs in conversation. The event will begin with a “Climate Storytelling 101” presentation by Rewrite the Future, followed by a discussion of Hollywood's climate success stories, and an audience Q&A. It will take place on November 17th from 5-6:30pm in the Dean’s Conference Room, 12th floor of Tisch (721 Broadway).
NRDC’s Rewrite the Future supports a broad range of creators and entertainment companies in representing the climate crisis through industry dialogue, education and climate storytelling consultation.
Panelist Bios
Daniel Hinerfeld is an Emmy winning filmmaker and award-winning journalist. He founded NRDC’s documentary film unit and co-founded NRDC’s Rewrite the Future initiative, which helps Hollywood tell stories about the climate crisis. Daniel previously worked at NPR. He was senior editor of the Tavis Smiley Show, co-created the nationally syndicated political analysis show, Left, Right & Center, and reported for NPR’s Morning Edition and All Things Considered.
Meredith Milton is a Creative Consultant to the NRDC, as well as a producer and long-time studio executive. Most recently, she made THE EYES OF TAMMY FAYE for Searchlight, which won Academy Awards for Best Actress and Best Hair & Make-Up. She was previously an executive at Searchlight, Lionsgate and Summit, where she oversaw a diverse slate of films, including THE FAVOURITE and the STEP UP film and TV franchise.
Working across the entertainment industry, Katy Jacobs leverages pop culture and storytelling to elevate environmental issues and drive action. Jacobs leads priority initiatives for Rewrite the Future—NRDC’s program to help Hollywood tell more compelling stories about the climate crisis - including NRDC’s Climate Storytelling Fellowship. In partnership with The Black List, CAA Foundation, and The Redford Center, Jacobs developed and launched the first-of-its-kind climate screenwriting fellowship to support new storytellers addressing climate in their work. Prior to NRDC, Jacobs worked as a producer and impact consultant in documentary film.
Joe Vinciguerra is Chair of the Department of Dramatic Writing at NYU's Tisch School of the Arts, and has written and developed feature films for Relativity Media, New Line Cinema, Conde Naste Entertainment, Splendid Pictures, Palm Pictures, Industry Entertainment and Tony Kaye Films. He is developing a half-hour comedy pilot with executive producer Charlie Gogolak, and a feature film for Park Pictures. He is a proud member of the Writers Guild of America.
Jessie Keyt is an Assistant Arts Professor in Dramatic Writing at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, and a development, story, and script consultant for filmmakers and production companies in the US, UK, and Europe. Clients have included Alicia Keys, Nickelodeon, Working Title, 9 Story Media, and Bard Entertainment. Jessie has taught screenwriting for Sundance, Columbia, and La Fémis. She is a mentor for the Cine Qua Non Film Lab and the Amplifier Fellowship (Film Independent/Netflix) and co-author of the forthcoming book, Alternative Scriptwriting: Contemporary Storytelling for the Screen.