Young people across the planet are at the forefront of calls for urgent climate action and many of them are already feeling the realities of the climate crisis. Yet, youth voices continue to remain marginalised in mainstream climate change discussions and decision-making processes.

The ActNowFilm project aims to change this by enabling young people, from across the world, to talk about their concerns, actions and personal experiences in relation to the climate crisis and voice their demands to national and international decision-makers. The films are entirely compiled of short film submissions of young people, speaking directly to camera or in conversation with another person. The ActNowFilms convey their words, and are not scripted by the project team.

The films are produced by the University of Bath Institute for Policy Research (IPR) and Cambridge Zero, and supported by the UK Universities Climate Network (UUCN).

First launched in 2021, the project has already resulted in two widely screened films, ActNowFilm and ActNowFilm: intergenerational conversations on climate change.

This year, ActNowFilm: youth climate leaders in conversation with climate experts will bring young people across the globe into one-on-one conversations with world-leading climate experts, including indigenous leaders, academics and representatives from business and the third sector. The aim is for the film to be presented to delegates at COP28, which will take place from 30 November to 12 December 2023 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

ActNowFilm – 2021

ActNowFilm provided young people (16-30 years) from across the world with an opportunity to share, in their own words, their lived experiences of climate change; their hopes and ambitions for the future; and what actions and commitments they would like to see from national and international decision-makers. The film received over 140 submissions from 32 countries.

ActNowFilm was launched at a Green Zone event at COP26 in Glasgow in November 2021. It has also been showcased at the GAUC Climate x Summit, COP15 on Biodiversity, Climate Week NYC and the Vatican Youth Symposium.

ActNowFilm was produced in partnership with student volunteers and the Global Alliance of Universities on Climate (GAUC).

ActNowFilm: intergenerational conversations on climate change – 2022

Building on the success of ActNowFilm, ActNowFilm: intergenerational conversations on climate change provided an opportunity for young and older people to come together and share their personal experiences of climate change; their ideas, hopes and fears for the future; as well as their messages to policymakers and climate negotiators.

The conversations, which were led by young people, illustrated the rapid escalation of climate impacts on people and places over the lifetimes of participants, in multiple locations across the world, acting as a clarion call for more urgent climate action.

ActNowFilm: intergenerational conversations on climate change, is drawn from films submitted by participants from every continent, except Antarctica. It premiered in the Blue Zone at COP27, Egypt, in November 2022.

ActNowFilm: intergenerational conversations on climate change was produced in partnership with ForAfrika, the Global Alliance of Universities on Climate (GAUC) and Plant-for-the-Planet.