We produced short documentary films and photographic content for each annual prize winner, showcasing their climate adaptation initiatives. Filming and photography captured intimate moments, local context, and the projects of the winners. The content was designed for multiple channels, including an online awards show, social media, and the Iris Project website. Locations have included Malawi, Kenya, Indonesia, Nepal, Bolivia, Guatemala, Mexico, Mongolia, The Philippines, and Sierra Leone.
Change
The Iris Project celebrates young people tackling climate change, inspiring others through their creativity and leadership. Each year, winners across different countries need their stories told authentically and compellingly to share their experiences and amplify their impact. The brief was to produce films and photography that captured their resilience, ingenuity, and connection to local communities, while remaining visually engaging and emotionally resonant.
Makers
We built bespoke teams for each project, selecting talented local filmmakers and photographers who could work closely with winners and their communities. This approach ensured cultural authenticity, built trust with participants, and supported high-quality storytelling while maintaining consistent production standards across all locations. Local teams are supported by our central management and post production team.
Impact
The films and photography have amplified the voices of young climate leaders worldwide, providing visibility for their innovative solutions and inspiring peers to take action. The content also feeds into wider capacity-building programmes, helping winners develop their own branding and digital presence, ensuring their projects gain ongoing recognition and engagement. Many winners have used our material to successfully bid for further funding.
Having partnered with MakerChange Studio over the past three years, I can confidently say there is nothing they cannot do. No challenge, location, or situation is too difficult for them. They have an incredible capacity to create diverse, authentic, and visually stunning films, always prioritising collaboration with local filmmakers to ensure their work captures the true essence of each project. The projects we support consistently speak highly of their experience working with MakerChange Studio, praising the meaningful relationships formed with local filmmakers. MakerChange Studio is collaborative, are excellent communicators and an absolute pleasure to work with.
Millie Edwards
Director, Iris Project