The Black List is thrilled to announce that it has partnered with NRDC’s (Natural Resources Defense Council) Rewrite the Future program, The Redford Center, NBCUniversal, and The CAA Foundation to launch the fifth annual NRDC Climate Storytelling Fellowship. 

The Fellowship will grant $20,000 each to three writers to support revision of a feature screenplay or pilot that engages with climate change in a compelling way through events, actions, character, emotions, plot, and/or setting.

In addition, NRDC will connect each fellowship recipient with the following professionals for feedback and guidance on their scripts:

• A credited professional screenwriter with an interest in climate storytelling 
• A climate story consultant from NRDC’s Rewrite the Future program to advise on effective approaches to climate storytelling that are entertaining and impactful
• As applicable, one or more NRDC experts to advise on climate issues highlighted in the script
• After receiving these consultations, Fellows have six (6) months to complete a revision of their script. Revised scripts may be reviewed for development by studios, agencies and/or production companies including Creative Artists Agency (CAA), Hyperobject Industries, Yellow Dot Studios, NBCUniversal, UTA and WME among others. Writers will retain all rights to their work.
• At the end of the Fellowship, each recipient will provide NRDC with a short reflection of how the fellowship has advanced their work and/or career, a revised version of their script, and an overview of the changes they made during the revision process.

Writers who opt in with a qualified screenplay or pilot will receive one free month of hosting and one free evaluation. To be considered for the fellowship, a script should engage with climate through events, actions, character, emotions, plot, and/or setting. If you meet these criteria when you opt in, you will receive a notification. Scripts must be submitted no later than November 28, 2025.

Writers who are interested in submitting to the 2026 NRDC Climate Storytelling Fellowship may do so via The Black List - submissions sent via email cannot be accepted. Please note that submissions will only be accepted if the writer also includes a short description of how their script qualifies as a climate story. Qualified screenplays and pilots will automatically receive a fee waiver for one free month of hosting and one free evaluation once their submissions are accepted. Qualified screenplays will also automatically be opted into consideration for the program once they are accepted.