Choose Our Future

Imagine 2050: What will your story be?

We invite filmmakers, creatives, and visionaries worldwide to tackle the most critical challenge of our time: defining the future. Envision and bring to life four archetypal scenarios for 2050, showing the world how the decisions we make today will shape tomorrow.

Our Vision: Cinema for Change & Policy Influence

We envision a future shaped by conscious choices. Our vision is to harness the transformative power of cinema to ignite a global conversation, translating cutting-edge sustainability research into accessible, emotionally resonant narratives that inspire urgent action and guide real policy decisions.

Our Mission: Bridge the Gap

This is more than a contest. Our mission is to challenge the world's most creative storytellers to make the abstract tangible, the distant immediate, and the complex accessible. Participants will use the universal language of film to bridge the crucial gap between rigorous academic research and public understanding and action, offering a chance to connect with sustainability experts and spark conversations that guide real policy choices.

Envisioning Tomorrow: Four Archetypal Scenarios for 2050

Our four-scenario framework is the product of over two decades of peer-reviewed scientific research. Each scenario provides both a robust analytical tool and a fertile creative canvas for your narrative vision.

Market Forces

A continuation of current economic paradigms. This scenario assumes that technological innovation and market mechanisms alone will resolve environmental challenges with minimal policy intervention.

Policy Reform

Systematic government intervention, driven by strong regulatory frameworks and international cooperation. While addressing market failures, this scenario largely maintains existing global systems.

Fortress World

A stark, bifurcated future where protected enclaves shield the global elite. The majority of the population faces rapidly deteriorating conditions due to unchecked inequality and severe environmental stress.

Great Transition

A fundamental, systemic shift involving unprecedented global cooperation. This future is defined by a complete transformation of economic systems, governance, and cultural values to achieve true sustainability and equity.

Competition Roadmap: From Pitch to Premiere

The competition unfolds in two dynamic stages, progressing from an open international call for pitch concepts to a supported production phase for a select group of commissioned finalists. We welcome submissions using all forms of media, including live action, animation, hybrid techniques, and AI tools.

Stage 1: Pitch Your Vision

Participants must submit a compelling pitch package demonstrating their unique approach to translating all four scenarios into visually stunning and emotionally resonant narratives.

Video Component (3-5 min) — A conceptual sketch, storyboard, or pilot footage illustrating your approach to the four scenarios.
Written Treatment (Max 10 pages) — Detailed narrative outlines for each scenario in an industry-standard format.
Production Plan — Comprehensive budget breakdown, timeline, team qualifications, and proposed technical execution.

Stage 2: Commission & Create

A distinguished international jury will select 5-8 finalists to be commissioned. Selected teams receive significant support to bring their vision to the screen.

Financial Support — Production grants ranging from £5,000 to £10,000.
Expert Mentorship — Direct consultations with subject matter experts, researchers, and technical production guidance.
Final Deliverables — Four 3-minute scenario films (12 minutes total), illustrating what life would be like in each scenario around 2050 and how it differs from the others; professional behind-the-scenes content, and supporting educational materials.

Judging Criteria: Pitch Your Vision

35%

Strategic Insight

Originality, artistic integrity, and narrative innovation across the four concepts.

35%

Creative Solutions

Accurate interpretation of the research and effective communication of complex ideas.

30%

Impactful Outcomes

Emotional depth, policy relevance, and universal applicability of the message.

The Journey Ahead: Key Dates & Timeline

November 2025: Competition Launch

Public announcement, website activation, and official registration opens for all participants.

November 2025 - February 2026: Submission Period

Pitch packages are actively accepted via the dedicated online portal.

February 2026: Stage 1 Deadline

Final acceptance of all submissions. The system officially closes at this time.

March - April 2026: Judging Phase

The expert panel meticulously reviews entries and selects the high-potential finalists. Citizen input opportunities are incorporated alongside the distinguished jury.

April 2026: Commission Phase Begins

Grant distributions are finalized, and the bespoke mentorship program is initiated for commissioned teams.

Late August - September: Final Film Completion

Deadline for commissioned teams to submit all final video deliverables.

Oct - Dec 2026: Global Launch & Premiere

Winning films premiere at a global celebration event in London, followed by wide distribution via festivals, YouTube, and international networks. Public surveys accompany online screenings to create global conversation, with results published widely to inform policy.

Our Distinguished Jury

A panel of acclaimed leaders—including academic experts, established industry professionals, and policy practitioners—will select the 5-8 commissioned finalists.

Professor Robert Costanza
Jury Chair

Your Seat at the Table: Who Can Shape the Future?

The competition welcomes participants across all career levels and backgrounds. We actively champion cultural diversity, global perspective, and inclusive international collaboration.

Seasoned Filmmakers

Creative Professionals

Students & Emerging Talent

Global Participants

The World Awaits Your Defining Vision.

Join us in this vital endeavor. Together, we will harness the power of imagination to visualize the futures we want, and create the powerful stories that will guide humanity there.

A groundbreaking initiative at the intersection of sustainability science, futures thinking, and creative storytelling.

The Science Behind the Stories:
Research Foundation

In the Anthropocene era, humanity stands at a critical crossroads, facing unprecedented environmental and societal challenges. Understanding potential future pathways is no longer a theoretical exercise but an urgent necessity for survival and thriving. Scenario planning emerges as a vital tool, enabling us to explore diverse futures, anticipate complex interactions, and foster robust decision-making in the face of deep uncertainty (Hunt et al. 2012).

The Foundation of Scenarios Archetypes

Our scenario development is built on established archetypes that provide structure and depth to our narratives.

Market World

A future where economic growth, technological innovation, and free markets are prioritized as solutions to environmental and social problems, often with minimal regulation.

Policy Reform

This scenario posits a future where governments and international bodies implement strong policies and regulations to steer society towards sustainability within existing political and economic structures.

Fortress World

A dystopian future characterized by severe inequality and environmental breakdown, where elites retreat into protected enclaves, leaving the majority to face deteriorating conditions.

Great Transition

A transformative future built on systemic change, involving radical shifts in values, economic systems, and governance to achieve ecological sustainability and social equity.

Dominant Frameworks: Guiding Our Understanding

The scientific foundation for these scenarios draws heavily from established global sustainability frameworks that integrate interdisciplinary research across climate science, economics, sociology, and political science:

Great Transition Initiative (GTI)

Developed by the Tellus Institute, the GTI framework offers a comprehensive vision for a just and sustainable global civilization. It emphasizes a shift from a "Planet of the Rich" to an "Ecological Civilization" through fundamental changes in societal values, institutions, and development pathways (Raskin 2016; Costanza 2022).

Earth for All

Building on the legacy of "The Limits to Growth," the Earth4All initiative provides a robust scientific assessment of the interconnected crises facing humanity. It outlines "Giant Leaps" necessary to achieve well-being for all within planetary boundaries, offering a clear roadmap for transformative action (Dixson-Declève et al. 2022).

The Gap: From Academic Scenarios to Public Imagination

Despite the rigorous academic foundations and profound implications of futures scenarios, their communication often remains confined to scholarly circles. Complex models, technical jargon, and policy-focused language can create a significant barrier between scientific insights and public understanding. This gap limits the potential for broad societal engagement and action, as abstract concepts struggle to resonate with lived experiences and emotional realities (Chambers et al. 2019; Krafft et al. 2023).

Bridging the Divide: The Power of Storytelling

This competition is specifically designed to bridge the critical gap between scientific understanding and public imagination. By commissioning filmmakers to translate complex scenario science into compelling visual narratives, we aim to:

Make abstract futures tangible and emotionally resonant.
Foster widespread public dialogue about preferred futures.
Inspire proactive engagement with sustainability challenges and solutions.
Empower individuals and communities to envision and strive for a "Great Transition."

Through the universal language of film, we seek to illuminate the profound choices facing humanity and catalyze collective action towards a more equitable and sustainable world. Join us in shaping the narrative of our shared future.