DC Environmental Film Festival

The New Frontier of Climate Change Storytelling

Expired March 28, 2022 3:45 AM
Already unlocked? for access

Featuring Winslow Porter and Milica Zec (Co-directors, Tree), Vanessa Keith (Creator, 2100: A Dystopian Utopia -- The City After Climate Change), Nonny de la Peña, Ph.D. (Co-Director, Greenland Melting), and Katerina Cizek (Artistic Director, Co-Creation Studio at MIT Open Documentary Lab)


Some of the most innovative work in climate change visual storytelling is taking place not on a movie screen, but in the realms of virtual reality, augmented reality, and multi-player gaming. It is here where the people formerly known as the audience are being transformed into active users, and where creators are hoping that the immersive nature of these new technologies will generate empathy and transform how we engage with this urgent issue. From Tree, which immerses viewers into the lifetime of a tree, from a seedling to a full-grown rain forest tree; to Greenland Melting which transports the viewer across nine different icy locations throughout Greenland to learn more about the changes taking place beneath its frigid surface; to 2100: A Dystopian Utopia -- The City After Climate Change, a massive, multiplayer online role-playing game where people are tasked with creating new ways to protect our cities against climate change threats, this panel will introduce the creators of some of the most celebrated projects. Moderator Katerina Cizek, Artistic Director, Co-Founder and Executive Producer of the Co-Creation Studio at MIT Open Documentary Lab and award-winning pioneer in digital documentaries will guide us through this new frontier.`

Winslow Porter (Co-Director, Tree) is a Brooklyn-based director, producer and creative technologist specializing in virtual reality and large-scale immersive installations. Full bio here.


Milica Zec (Co-Director, Tree) is a New York City-based film and virtual reality director, editor, and screenwriter. Full bio here.


Vanessa Keith (Creator, 2100: A Dystopian Utopia -- The City After Climate Change) is a registered architect and Principal of Studioteka, an award-winning design firm founded in 2003. Full bio here.


Nonny de la Peña, Ph.D. (Co-Director, Greenland Melting), is the founding director of Arizona State University’s new Narrative and Emerging Media Program located in downtown Los Angeles and the founder of Emblematic Group. Full bio here.


Katerina Cizek is the Artistic Director, Co-Founder and Executive Producer of the Co-Creation Studio at MIT Open Documentary Lab and an Emmy-winning documentary director working across many media platforms. Full bio here.

  • Year
    2022
  • Runtime
    56 minutes
  • Language
    English
  • Country
    United States
  • Director
    DCEFF