2027 NRDC Climate Storytelling Fellowship: $20,000 Fellowship for Climate Screenwriters and TV Pilot Writers
Overview
The 2027 NRDC Climate Storytelling Fellowship supports screenwriters who use film and television to explore climate change and the human experience. This program is the sixth annual fellowship resulting from a partnership between The Black List, the Natural Resources Defense Council's Rewrite the Future program, The Redford Center, NBCUniversal, and CAA Community + Impact. The initiative aims to help writers move beyond conventional apocalyptic or dystopian depictions of environmental issues by examining the social, economic, political, and emotional dimensions of climate change through engaging characters and narratives across various genres.
Who can apply
Submissions are open to writers who have completed feature film screenplays or television pilots that engage meaningfully with climate change. Applicants can work in any genre, including comedy, drama, horror, action, adventure, romance, or inspirational stories, provided that climate change and solutions influence the plot, character decisions, actions, settings, or community circumstances.
What you get
Three selected writers each receive $20,000 to support the revision of their feature screenplay or television pilot. Fellows also receive professional development and script guidance, which includes feedback from credited professional screenwriters, guidance from the NRDC Rewrite the Future program, potential consultations with NRDC climate experts, and one dedicated development meeting with a Climate Spring executive. Following consultations, fellows have six months to complete a script revision, after which revised scripts may be reviewed for development by studios, agencies, and production companies such as Climate Spring, Creative Artists Agency, Hyperobject Industries, NBCUniversal, UTA, WME, and Yellow Dot Studios. Writers retain all rights to their work, and must submit a revised script, an overview of changes, and a short reflection at the end of the fellowship.
Key dates
The application deadline is December 4, 2026, at 11:59 PM PST.