Climate Storytellers Win Funding to Explore New Ways to Inspire Audiences
Five Research and Development (R&D) projects are sharing £100,000 of investment from the Media Cymru x Ffilm Cymru Wales Climate Stories Fund.
Launched in December 2024, the Climate Stories Fund was devised and delivered by Media Cymru and Ffilm Cymru Wales to support R&D projects for feature films or immersive experiences sharing impactful climate stories that stimulate action in fresh and compelling ways.
The competition was highly competitive. Media Cymru and Ffilm Cymru Wales selected five outstanding projects to progress through a four-month R&D sprint taking place from April to August 2025.
The process began with an Insight Day hosted by Wales Millennium Centre, at which the teams learned from guest speakers Prof. Paul Behrens from the University of Oxford, filmmaker Elham Ehsas, Dr Catherine Graves, the BFI's Keir Oldfield-Lewis and BAFTA albert's Lisa Howe.
The five projects supported through the Climate Stories Fund are:
All Rivers Spill – Spill All Rivers – Joanna Wright, Tiny City
A new project by filmmaker Jeanie Finlay returning to the Teesside coast where she grew up. Using immersive technology, All Rivers Spill – Spill All Rivers is a wraparound Extended Reality (XR) documentary project. Due to sensitivity around the subject matter, further details available on request.
Founded by Joanna Wright, Tiny City is a North Wales-based, artist-led company developing projects that centre interdisciplinary, inclusive design. Working with a diverse network of creative collaborators in Wales and internationally, they produce projects that crossover between documentary, installation, and digital platforms, which have been exhibited at The Institute of Contemporary Art, Channel 4, BFI, BBC, The Space, Sky, True/False, MIT, IDFA, and UNESCO.
Ceri (Working Title) – Richard Billingham
This R&D project will explore young people's lived experiences, in particular their thoughts, feelings, perceptions and anxieties about climate change and the future. The storytelling will transition through everyday digital screens, including video games, smartphones, surveillance cameras, drones, and doorbell cameras.
Swansea-based artist and filmmaker Richard Billingham has worked in photography, film and experimental video and was nominated for a BAFTA for Best Debut Film (2019) for his feature Ray and Liz, supported by Ffilm Cymru Wales. As Professor at the University of Gloucestershire, Richard sees many students express a collective anxiety about climate change and their futures.
Earth Speaks – Ashley Leung and Remi Bumstead, Tiny House Creatives
There are people who live in deep communion with the earth, who have witnessed, documented and adapted to centuries of earth changes and who continue to do so today. Earth Speaks will explore the importance of these observations in shaping current polices, the roles the indigenous play in safeguarding our ecosystems, and the songs and stories that reflect humanity's shared connection to nature across all cultures.
Ashley's journey into film began with a foundation in music, leading to a BSc in Music Technology and studio experience working on ADR, foley, scores, and SFX for film. Guided by his own nature, Ashley loves creating heart felt human and nature centric films that contribute to a more positive, caring, connected, and celebrated world view. Self-shooting Producer-Director Remi has worked across the board from Adidas and Arsenal to The UN in Somalia, filming in extreme environments from the Arctic to the Amazon.
Nora's Ark – Lowri Roberts and Maisie Williams, Rapt Pictures
The Earth has been squeezed dry of its resources, the end is nigh. But there's a plan to save humanity, a ship to save a select few people. Told through multiple perspectives, this feature film will be crafted based on what underserved audiences want.
Based in North Wales and Somerset, Rapt is a film production company led by BAFTA Cymru-winning filmmaker and producer Lowri Roberts and Emmy-nominated actor and producer Maisie Williams.
Passionate about the environment, the company has a number of projects on their slate that address climate change, and Maisie is the Global Ambassador for both WWF and Dolphin Project.
Who Gives a F**k About Polar Bears? – Gavin Porter
How do we tell climate stories from a working-class perspective? Those who are economically challenged will be among the first and most affected by the climate crisis, yet their voices are rarely heard in the debate. Who Gives a F**K About Polar Bears is a transmedia project anchored by a feature documentary that examines the profound intersections between class and climate.
Gavin Porter is a storyteller who writes, directs and produces film, theatre and radio. Inspired by his experiences of growing up in Cardiff's Butetown, one of the oldest multicultural communities in the UK, Gavin has created theatre productions that have sold out across Wales and won a BAFTA Cymru award for fiction film.
Lee Walters, Chief Executive of Ffilm Cymru Wales, said:
'We're excited to be supporting such creative, innovative and potentially impactful projects through the Climate Stories Fund. These ideas not only reflect the urgency of the climate crisis but also the power of storytelling to inspire change and spark meaningful conversations.'
Professor Justin Lewis, Director of Media Cymru, said:
'After a competitive process, we're pleased to see a real breadth of innovative ideas from the final cohort, who will be exploring and developing their ideas throughout the upcoming R&D period. Together with Ffilm Cymru Wales, we wanted to see a range of fresh approaches for inspiring audiences while telling the wider story of the climate crisis. The final projects are great examples of the kinds of storytelling talent we have here in Wales, and I look forward to seeing these ideas grow and evolve.'
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