February 2025

The 97th Oscar for Best Picture goes to Wicked! 👀 Well, the jury’s still out on that, but it's definitely GPE’s top pick, for more reasons than one.(We’ll get into that later;)
In light of the devastating fires in California, the Oscar nominations were pushed back twice from the original date, and several film premieres were cancelled or postponed. Even under Hollywood bright lights, the scary repercussions of climate change are creeping into the film industry. Yet directors, writers, and filmmakers tend to steer away from the words “climate change” in their work.
In fact, research shows that only “3% of scripted movies and TV episodes from 2016 through 2020 mentioned global warming or related keywords.”
If the wildfires are telling us anything, it’s that we cannot ignore or deny the way our planet is being ravaged by climate change. It’s more important than ever to champion and amplify environmental topics in the film industry, because it can be a powerful tool for action. But sometimes the way we get the message across really matters...
Cue this ironic video of New York Climate Week, where environmental professionals were asked to name a climate documentary.🦗🦗🦗🦗🦗
Documentaries don’t always hit the mark…and don’t hate me but a lot of environmental, climate, and nature docs can feel a bit boring, often detached from the lived experiences of Black and Brown communities or even universal experiences like falling in love, loss, or adventure.
We need more climate rom-coms, thrillers, mysteries—climate woven into every genre, because this is our new reality. It’s not as difficult as it seems. The founders of the Hollywood Climate Summit break down the subtle and blatant ways Hollywood can make climate stories sexy.
With our own green-tinted glasses, let’s take a closer look at some of the Oscar-nominated favs:
Wicked
In this video, Director Jon M. Chu charges the audience, “Just like Elphaba, let’s find the power in being green.” Chu took his own advice by making it a priority to incorporate sustainability through Universal’s GreenerLight program. In the production of the film, this meant everything from hiring eco specialists and designers to creating a comprehensive plan for using renewable energy and recycling materials. Beyond this, Wicked tells the story of a resilient woman of color (see what I did there) advocating not only for animal rights but justice for everyone, no matter their appearance.
Nickel Boys

A historical drama set in the Jim Crow South highlights the glaring ways racial justice intersects environmental justice, particularly through segregation laws that forced young Black boys of Nickel Academy to live in deplorable conditions and participate in convict labor. This serves as a stark contrast to the recent controversy on social media, where people discovered that many LA firefighters were incarcerated folks and getting paid mere cents to risk their lives and health.
Dune: Part Two

Part 2 picks up where the first left off, with the destruction of the House Atreides by House Harkonnen. House Harkonnen is a wealthy family that relentlessly seeks the over-extraction of natural resources, the persecution of the indigenous Fremen people, and the exploitation of their land. This over-extraction only exacerbates the desert-like condition of the planet. Doesn’t this echo the history of white colonization and the struggles of indigenous people everywhere?
Substance

Everyone wants a cure to aging—who wouldn’t want something to remove their wrinkles? Enters Elizabeth, a faded celebrity that takes a black market drug that temporarily creates a younger, better version of herself. But things quickly spiral out of control with the drug having devastating effects on her body and skin. What is this film saying about beauty standards, but also what we are putting in our bodies? Here’s a refresher on our TMI toolkit to learn more.
A Wild Robot

Though not in the Best Picture category, this animated film is regarded as a powerful climate change movie. It centers on a resourceful robot navigating the unintended consequences of human technology including a submerged Golden Gate. The film inspires viewers to protect the environment with all their hearts.
Until Hollywood catches up with us, don’t forget to slip on your green-tinted glasses every now and then when you watch your next film.
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