The search for local climate stories continues this 2024.

In celebration of Philippine Environment Month, the Oscar M. Lopez (OML) Center announced the return of its mobile filmmaking competition – Mga Kwento ng Klima (MKK) Short Films – with a mission to surface more climate stories on the ground through compelling storytelling.

The announcement was made during the 2024 Lopez Group Envi Festival kick-off with the theme,  “Kapamilya para sa Kapaligiran” on Tuesday, June 4, at the Rockwell Business Center Tower 3 in Pasig City. 

The MKK Shorts’ debut edition in 2022 showcased eight outstanding entries, while the 2023 edition featured a top 10 lineup tackling various climate themes such as extreme weather events, sea level rise, and climate adaptation. These films are currently available for free streaming on iWantTFC. 

In the 2024 edition of the filmmaking competition, the OML Center will offer a production seed grant of Php 30,000 to the competition’s top 15 film pitches. Additionally, the final top 10 entries will each receive an additional Php 70,000 to cover various production costs, from pre-production to post-production.

MKK Shorts 2024 will also award nine* special awards to win Php 10,000 each, and the winning film will take home a cash prize of Php 100,000. 

The MKK Shorts 2024 is expected to run from June to November, including the submission of film pitches, mentoring sessions with science and film experts through the Climate Film Labs, 2-month film production, and a face-to-face awarding ceremony.

Registration details and full competition mechanics will be available on the social media accounts and website of the OML Center on Monday, June 17, 2024.

To know more about the previous editions of MKK Shorts, visit https://www.omlopezcenter.org/balangay-film-mkk-short-films-page/.