CliFi Story Grant

Imagine a Regenerative Future, Then Make Us Binge It

IMAGINE THE FUTURE: AND MAKE IT ENTERTAINING

Pitch Your (Future) Hit Anti-Dystopia Series!

What if one of the most powerful climate actions wasn’t a policy paper — but a hit series?

As part of Boston Climate Week, the Net Zero Institute (NZI) is sponsoring a $1,000 grant and the Boston International Film Festival is donating festival passes valued at $500. Additional supporters include the Venture Café Cambridge, CEREs, and Kearney.

We welcome submissions of original videos OR TV show pitches, scripts or short stories adaptable to a series that imagines a future worth living in — and watching.

Imagine a better world. Then make us binge it.

PRIZE OPPORTUNITIES

Grant: $1,000
2 all-access VIP passes to Boston International Film Festival (BIFF)*
*These tickets, valued at $500, are for the April 2027 festival and include the opening night gala, all screenings, and closing ceremony. The festival offers a great opportunity to celebrate the art of independent films and connect with fellow industry members.

WHO SHOULD APPLY

Anyone – truly. If you have a story, write it. Send it. Past-experience in climate, TV, scripts, writing… Is NOT a factor. Just this story.

SUBMISSION CRITERIA

We’re less interested in format and more interested in your ideas and how you convey them. With that in mind, we accept:

Short stories: include a beginning, middle, end (max 20 pages)
TV script: synopsis of the story arc and characters PLUS the script of one or more scene(s)
Mini video: create a short film or short series of clips/reels it could live action, animation or any other form of video content

WHEN TO SUBMIT

DUE: August 30, 2026

Decisions will be announced during NYC Climate Week, 2026 at the end of September

HOW TO SUBMIT

Please email your submission to aggfarm@proton.me

Please format the email subject: “lastname_script_comp_2026”

THE VISION

We are looking for popular, binge-worthy stories set in a future where humanity made it through climate change: not by collapse or miracle technology, but by coming together as neighbors, communities, and stewards of the living world.

In this future:

The clean energy transition has happened, we have a net zero world.
Humans live in balance with ecosystems and other species, having done the hard, necessary work to survive and stabilize the climate.
The world is recognizable and appealing, but clearly different from today -- not post-apocalyptic, not hyper-tech, and not a glossy utopia.
This world is net zero, circular, post-growth: materially sufficient, safe, and stable -- but emotionally, communally, and spiritually richer.

Most importantly: This future is the backdrop, not the plot.

Your submission should be an engaging, character-driven story that could realistically become widely popular content -- think Friends-level warmth or Game of Thrones-level cultural reach, not niche art-film storytelling.

The audience should fall in love with the characters first -- and only later realize they’ve also fallen into a hopeful vision of the future.

WHY THIS COMPETITION EXISTS

There’s a saying: “It’s easier to imagine the end of the world than the end of… profit-above-all business.”

This competition exists to change that.

We are seeking stories that quietly expand the collective imagination -- showing a future that is:

Materially sufficient and safe
Emotionally and communally abundant
Hopeful without being naive
Inspiring without preaching

These stories should offer viewers a subtle sense of possibility, a feeling that “we could get there from here.”

GRANT & RIGHTS

$1,000 grant for the winning submission
Winner will be announced during NYC Climate Week
If the project is produced or generates revenue, the author will receive appropriate/standard royalties and credit
This is a collaboration, not a work-for-hire.

LOOKING FOR INSPIRATION?

If you’re curious about the kind of future-thinking this competition encourages, we recommend watching this TED Talk as optional inspiration: “A few ways to imagine the future of climate action and society”

You don’t need to agree with everything -- it’s simply a starting point for imagining futures that are livable, compelling, and human.

CREATE THE FUTURE PEOPLE WANT TO WATCH

CliFi Story Grant

Imagine a Regenerative Future, Then Make Us Binge It

IMAGINE THE FUTURE: AND MAKE IT ENTERTAINING

Pitch Your (Future) Hit Anti-Dystopia Series!

What if one of the most powerful climate actions wasn’t a policy paper — but a hit series?

As part of Boston Climate Week, the Net Zero Institute (NZI) is sponsoring a $1,000 grant and the Boston International Film Festival is donating festival passes valued at $500. Additional supporters include the Venture Café Cambridge, CEREs, and Kearney.

We welcome submissions of original videos OR TV show pitches, scripts or short stories adaptable to a series that imagines a future worth living in — and watching.

Imagine a better world. Then make us binge it.

PRIZE OPPORTUNITIES

Grant: $1,000

2 all-access VIP passes to Boston International Film Festival (BIFF)*

WHO SHOULD APPLY

Anyone – truly. If you have a story, write it. Send it. Past-experience in climate, TV, scripts, writing… Is NOT a factor. Just this story.

SUBMISSION CRITERIA

We’re less interested in format and more interested in your ideas and how you convey them. With that in mind, we accept:

Short stories: include a beginning, middle, end (max 20 pages)

TV script: synopsis of the story arc and characters PLUS the script of one or more scene(s)

Mini video: create a short film or short series of clips/reels it could live action, animation or any other form of video content

WHEN TO SUBMIT

DUE: August 30, 2026

Decisions will be announced during NYC Climate Week, 2026 at the end of September

HOW TO SUBMIT

Please email your submission to aggfarm@proton.me

Please format the email subject: “lastname_script_comp_2026”

THE VISION

We are looking for popular, binge-worthy stories set in a future where humanity made it through climate change: not by collapse or miracle technology, but by coming together as neighbors, communities, and stewards of the living world.

In this future:

The clean energy transition has happened, we have a net zero world.

Humans live in balance with ecosystems and other species, having done the hard, necessary work to survive and stabilize the climate.

The world is recognizable and appealing, but clearly different from today -- not post-apocalyptic, not hyper-tech, and not a glossy utopia.

This world is net zero, circular, post-growth: materially sufficient, safe, and stable -- but emotionally, communally, and spiritually richer.

Most importantly: This future is the backdrop, not the plot.

Your submission should be an engaging, character-driven story that could realistically become widely popular content -- think Friends-level warmth or Game of Thrones-level cultural reach, not niche art-film storytelling.

The audience should fall in love with the characters first -- and only later realize they’ve also fallen into a hopeful vision of the future.

WHY THIS COMPETITION EXISTS

There’s a saying: “It’s easier to imagine the end of the world than the end of… profit-above-all business.”

This competition exists to change that.

We are seeking stories that quietly expand the collective imagination -- showing a future that is:

Materially sufficient and safe

Emotionally and communally abundant

Hopeful without being naive

Inspiring without preaching

These stories should offer viewers a subtle sense of possibility, a feeling that “we could get there from here.”

GRANT & RIGHTS

$1,000 grant for the winning submission

Winner will be announced during NYC Climate Week

If the project is produced or generates revenue, the author will receive appropriate/standard royalties and credit

This is a collaboration, not a work-for-hire.

LOOKING FOR INSPIRATION?

If you’re curious about the kind of future-thinking this competition encourages, we recommend watching this TED Talk as optional inspiration: “A few ways to imagine the future of climate action and society”

You don’t need to agree with everything -- it’s simply a starting point for imagining futures that are livable, compelling, and human.

CREATE THE FUTURE PEOPLE WANT TO WATCH

Help us shape the cultural narratives that make progress feel possible -- and enjoyable.