Today Climate Spring, in partnership with Film London, is delighted to announce There Will Come Soft Rains as the winner of its inaugural The Hot House: Shorts programme, a production grant for scripted live-action short film projects about climate change, with a focus on supporting under-represented and diverse screenwriting and filmmaking talent. The initiative is supported by Green Screen (powered by Greenshoot and Film London), NXTGen BPS as well as private donors.

Launched in 2023 as part of Climate Spring’s early-stage development offering, The Hot House: Shorts aims to inspire, incentivise and support content makers to explore impactful and original climate stories for mainstream audiences. The programme also aims to contribute to addressing the glaring absence of the climate crisis in scripted film and TV.

This year’s winning project, There Will Come Soft Rains, will receive a £10,000 production award, alongside development and executive producer support, as well as sustainable production guidance and certification from Green Screen to produce the film.

Co-written by award-winning director Elham Ehsas and actor Sam Perry, and produced by Lorraine Bhattachary, There Will Come Soft Rains follows protagonist Mira, who, haunted by rising sea levels, defies tradition and her Muslim faith to dig up her father’s grave. While leading Mira on a collision course with the authorities, faith and family, the story also emphasises the power of unity, forgiveness and second chances, both in saving ourselves and our planet.

Laurence Johnson, Sustainability Manager of Film London, said: ‘’We are absolutely delighted that There Will Come Soft Rains has won the Hot House: Shorts competition! At Film London, we know that human induced climate breakdown is not just a problem of science, it is a problem of communication. Therefore, as storytellers, the filmmaking community must urgently come together to find new, meaningful ways to portray this shared challenge. Not only do we need stories which our communities can relate to, we need new perspectives which do not shy away from the challenges we face, whilst offering optimism and in turn, helping to drive climate action. There Will Come Soft Rains is a wonderful example which acknowledges real issues, but offers agency and urgency to bring about vital change.’’

Josh Cockcroft, Co-Director of Climate Spring, said: “We’re thrilled to award our inaugural The Hot House: Shorts production grant to There Will Come Soft Rains. We’re immensely proud to be supporting the talented team behind this project in bringing this story to life. Our industry and its diverse and creative storytellers have a unique role to play in shaping the narratives and perceptions of ongoing climate conversations. At Climate Spring, we’re committed to harnessing the storytelling power of the screen to open up new and inspiring perspectives on the climate crisis, and to provide a platform for diverse human stories about how we can navigate through this collective challenge together. Through The Hot House: Shorts we wish to support those currently under-represented in the screen industries to create powerful content that shifts the often all too dystopian and technical climate narratives, whilst inspiring action and meaningful change.”

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